PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Frequency, intensity and duration of extreme rainfall and droughts are predicted to increase. The total economic losses caused by such climate-related extremes amounted to almost €400 billion in the period 1980-2013, according to a report of the European Environmental Agency. Pluvial flooding events cause great and costly damage to buildings, industry and infrastructure. Water scarcity affects at least 11% of the EU’s population and 17% of its territory. Urban areas are particularly sensitive to climate change due to their high population density and the concentration of business activities. We urgently need effective strategies for urban climate adaptation. Previous initiatives to deal with flooding and water scarcity have suffered from major limitations: prohibitively high costs, insufficient scale, a lack of commitment from the public, too narrow a perspective and a lack of institutional support. When rainfall reaches around 60 mm per hour there is runoff to surrounding areas. This happens on around 22 days per year at present.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of LIFE Local Water Adapt is to demonstrate a unique approach to local water management – collective adaptive water management (CAWM) – as an effective urban adaptation strategy. Its approach overcomes existing barriers by creating a public-private partnership of local actors. CAWM has a larger and broader impact by targeting different climate adaptation aspects simultaneously (pluvial flooding and water scarcity) and to leverage scales of investment. Rainwater is collected, stored and used to produce drinking water, while houses are equipped with water saving technology. Greywater is treated and recycled and organic waste from toilets and food waste grinders is safely managed. The aim is to prevent any flood damage occurring through rainstorms of more than 60 mm/h and for rainwater to account for 45% of all domestic water use. The pilot location of Limburg has geographic features common to large parts of the EU and is ideal for demonstrating the efficacy and flexibility of CAWM. A replication project is planned in Belgium. The project will contribute to a range of European policies including the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change, the Floods Directive, the Water Framework Directive and the Drinking Water Directive.
Expected results:
