"Natural Water Retention Measures"
Updated : 20/12/2015
Following the “Blueprint” published in 2012 by the European Commission, the Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) imposed themselves as eco-engineering solutions, which are part of a sustainable development approach and resilience to climate change.
What are the "NWRM"?
The Natural Water Retention Measures are based on the capacities of natural or man-made ecosystems to ensure better water management.
Characterized by their multi-functionality, they may provide multiple benefits: reducing risks from floods and droughts, improving water quality, aquifer recharge and improving habitats.
A reference web platform
The project, coordinated by IOWater and completed in 2015, identifies the 53 recommended eco-engineering measures and provides answers on their implementation, their economic aspects and their biophysical impacts.
All the knowledge is available on the project website, which is now the European Reference Platform on this topic.
Many technical illustrations and information, through case studies and synthesis, as well as operational tools for decision-makers and stakeholders, are proposed.
Practical guidelines, translated into 15 languages, explicit the NWRM implementation in a coherent and coordinated approach. They highlight the multiple benefits provided by the measures identified in the following four major sectors: hydro-morphology of rivers, forest management, agricultural practices and urban development.
This project shows the relevance of eco-engineering in the European strategy including many Directives (Water Framework Directive, Flood Directive, Habitats Directive, etc.), and proposes an inflection towards “green infrastructure” in future local or regional planning.