On 18 July 2025, SpongeScapes hosted an online collaborative workshop with partners from both the SpongeScapes and SpongeWorks Horizon Europe projects. The aim is to develop a comprehensive catalogue of sponge measures to help water and land managers better understand, identify, compare and implement the wide range of available solutions to enhance the sponge functioning of landscapes.
Can reviving traditional water management techniques boost biodiversity in drought-prone landscapes? The Greek case study from the SpongeScapes project is helping us find out.
As nature-based solutions gain momentum across Europe, a new study from SpongeScapes Italian partners from the University of Padova broadens the lens on how we evaluate sponge measures (Natural Water Retention Measures -NWRMs - in their article)— going beyond flood mitigation and groundwater recharge to also consider, among others, social and economic dimensions.
The study proposes a structured approach to classify both positive (benefits and co-benefits) and negative (trade-offs) impacts of sponge measures, for example:
The SpongeScapes project has released its first major deliverable:
"Critical review of existing knowledge on sponge functions for different climatic zones, soils and land uses in Europe."
This comprehensive review offers a much-needed synthesis of the scientific literature and practical knowledge surrounding sponge measures. It covers how these measures perform across different environmental contexts — and just as importantly, where knowledge is still missing.
8 key knowledge gaps identified