International Office for Water, partner of the SpongeWorks project

Published on 02/14/25

SpongeWorks is a project funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe programme. With a budget of €15 million over four years (2024-2028), it aims to strengthen the capacity of soils to regulate water by drawing inspiration from the sponge principle.

This international project is coordinated by the Leibniz University of Hanover in Germany and the Deltares Research Institute in the Netherlands. Among its 28 partners, the Office International de l'Eau (OiEau) is playing a central role in organising and implementing these measures in France, particularly in the Lèze river catchment area.

Birth of the SpongeWorks project

Environmental and climatic context

Europe is facing an unprecedented climate crisis: since 1980, the continent has experienced more than 1,500 floods, causing more than 4,300 deaths and major economic losses. Global warming, which is accelerating in Europe at twice the rate of the global average, is leading to extreme weather events such as prolonged droughts and destructive floods.

Against this backdrop, strengthening the resilience of ecosystems has become a major challenge. As natural reservoirs of water, soils can play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of climate change. However, their capacity to retain and filter water has been largely degraded by human practices: intensive agriculture, land artificialisation, excessive drainage of wetlands, etc.

The SpongeWorks project

The SpongeWorks project was born of this dynamic, with the aim of testing and deploying ‘sponge measures’ in three major European river basins:

The Lèze in France,
The Pénée in Greece,
The Vecht, located between the Netherlands and Germany.

Sponge measures’ include techniques such as planting hedges, restoring wetlands and building infiltration basins. The aim is to demonstrate their effectiveness on a large scale and encourage their adoption across Europe.

The key role of the International Office for Water

Coordination and local implementation

The International Office for Water (OiEau), a public interest organisation recognised for its work in the sustainable management of water resources in Europe and internationally, is coordinating the project's activities in France, particularly in the Lèze basin.

OiEau is working closely with the Syndicat Mixte Interdépartemental de la Vallée de la Lèze (SMIVAL), which is piloting the activities on the ground. Together, they organise the implementation of sponge measures and monitor the effects on soil and water quality.

The activities led by OiEau include:

Coordinating local stakeholders (farmers, local authorities, scientists).
Monitoring soil and water quality to assess the impact of measures.
Disseminating results to encourage their adoption on a wider scale.

Working together to raise awareness

Stakeholder involvement is essential to ensure the success of SpongeWorks. This is why OiEau is organising consultation workshops with farmers and local decision-makers to ensure ownership of the solutions implemented.

A first workshop was held on 21 and 22 January 2025 in Toulouse, marking the launch of activities in France. The event brought together 50 participants, ranging from researchers and farmers to local elected representatives and water management experts. OiEau played a crucial role in facilitating exchanges and coordinating the planning of future actions.

Perspectives

Between now and 2028, SpongeWorks aims to experiment with 19 sponge measures covering 4,000 hectares and 47 km of rivers, with the aim of improving water retention and soil health, thereby reducing the risk of floods and droughts. Ultimately, this project should serve as a model for other European regions facing similar challenges.

The SpongeWorks project represents a major opportunity to respond to the challenges of climate change and soil degradation in Europe, with the involvement of local stakeholders. The International Office for Water, through its expertise and commitment, is playing a key role in the success of this initiative, hoping to make the Lèze basin a model of adaptation to climate change for Europe.

More information : https://spongeworks.eu/

sponge measures

4000

hectares

km of rivers