SpongeScapes was represented in Brussels on March 11, 2026 at a major joint policy event together with SpongeWorks, MERLIN and WaterLANDS, bringing the sponge landscapes concept directly into discussions on the future of European nature restoration and water resilience. During the event, Ellis Penning (Deltares), coordinator of SpongeScapes and co-coordinator of SpongeWorks, introduced the sponge landscapes approach and moderated a session on restoration upscaling. Christian Albert (Leibniz Universität Hannover) introduced SpongeWorks and moderated the panel on restoration financing.
The event created space for open discussion on what is needed to achieve transformative change in practice. Participants exchanged insights on practical tools, including MERLIN’s web app and financing workflows, WaterLANDS’ decision support systems, and experiences from implementing partners across Europe. Inspiring policy examples were also highlighted, including Denmark’s commitment to restore 140,000 hectares of peatlands.
A key message from the discussions was that, now that the Nature Restoration Regulation is in force, there is a major opportunity to place sponge landscapes and resilient freshwater systems at the centre of national restoration planning. This message is also reflected in the new joint policy brief developed by the participating projects, Advancing the Water Resilience Strategy through Sponge Landscapes and Nature-Based Solutions for a Climate Resilient Europe, which calls for stronger alignment between EU policy, Member State planning and local implementation, and highlights sponge landscapes as a cornerstone for restoring hydrological functioning and strengthening climate resilience.
The policy brief further underlines the need for better policy alignment, stronger local system understanding, stakeholder engagement and co-creation, and more effective financing and investment pathways to scale up nature-based solutions across Europe.