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Nitrogen and phosphorus load reduction approach within safe ecological boundaries for the Nordic-Baltic region

Project description

DEENESFRITPL

Keeping the overabundance of nutrients in water under control

Water bodies require some nutrients to be healthy, but too many can be harmful. The EU-funded NORDBALT-ECOSAFE project will implement a soil and water assessment tool in six of the Nordic-Baltic region’s water basins. This model will demonstrate to stakeholders how to assess nutrient concentrations, loads, sources and pathways. Its reliability will also be evaluated. The project will assess the value of using high frequency sensors in nutrient monitoring and analyse trends in changes to carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. To meet nutrient reduction goals, it will develop and demonstrate a management support system for implementing nature-based solutions and mitigation measures in river basins.

Objective

The NORDBALT-ECOSAFE project involves eight partners in the Nordic-Baltic region and includes seven work packages and a cross-cutting issue on climate change. The project aims to develop new standards for setting safe ecological boundaries in water bodies and novel nutrient regulations using models, mitigation and policy tools and governance schemes. We will make an in-depth assessment of nutrient reference conditions and establish harmonised safe ecological boundaries for various biological indicators in water bodies, including climate change impacts. We will apply a state-of-the-art catchment model (SWAT+) to the project’s six river basins to demonstrate to stakeholders how to estimate nutrient concentrations, loads, sources and pathways, followed by a comparison of our findings with existing national models to assess model credibility. The water body status after adoption of the new ecological boundaries will be investigated using the SWAT+ output and an analysis of a large-scale river dataset on the entire Nordic-Baltic region. In NORDBALT-ECOSAFE we will produce guidance for the use of high frequency sensors in nutrient monitoring and their pros and cons compared to standard monitoring techniques. An analysis of trends in river stoichiometry (CNP) in the region will be made and the outcome compared with that of historical policies. We will develop novel indicators for balancing GHG emissions with nutrient loadings to water bodies and a framework for novel nature-based solutions (NBSs) and mitigation measures (MMs), including guidance for optimum efficiency for nutrient reduction and side effects. Finally, a River Basin Management Support System for implementing NBSs and MMs in river basins to meet nutrient reduction targets will be developed and demonstrated. Stakeholders and policy makers will be involved at all project stages.

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Topic(s)

Call for proposal

HORIZON-CL6-2021-ZEROPOLLUTION-01

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Funding Scheme

HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions

Coordinator

AARHUS UNIVERSITET
Net EU contribution
€ 399 515,00
Address
NORDRE RINGGADE 1
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark

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Region
Danmark Midtjylland Østjylland
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost
€ 399 515,00

Participants (7)

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Last update: 28 July 2022

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101060020

European Union, 2024