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.
On 28 January 2026, more than 20 stakeholders gathered in the Lèze valley, France, for the second SpongeLab workshop. The workshop was jointly organised with the Horizon Europe project SpongeWorks, which is also active in the Lèze basin.
While SpongeWorks addresses the entire Lèze basin, SpongeScapes focuses its SpongeLab process on one sub-basin: the Rosé. This workshop created an opportunity to work across both geographical scales.
In Ljubljana’s hilly pre-alpine landscape, forests are more than just a scenic backdrop. They play a crucial role in managing rainwater and reducing flood risks for downstream urban areas. Within the SpongeScapes project, scientists are taking a closer look at how different tree species influence rainfall, soil moisture, and the local water cycle in the Gradaščica catchment.
When it rains, not all water reaches the ground.
On 28 November 2025, Greece hosted its National Sponge Day, organized online as part of the Horizon Europe SpongeScapes project. More than 300 participants from regional and local authorities, government agencies, academia, and civil society joined to explore how sponge measures can strengthen water resilience in Greece.
The programme brought together practitioners, policymakers, and researchers working at different levels of water management:
Three new comics created under the Horizon Europe SpongeScapes project invite readers into the fascinating world of environmental research — where scientists study how rivers, soils, and ecosystems function, and how this knowledge can help us adapt to climate change.