TRANSCEND addresses one of today’s most pressing challenges: water scarcity under climate change. The project supports the adoption of Transformational Adaptation Policies (TAP) that go beyond short‑term fixes. These solutions help societies manage water in ways that remain effective under uncertainty, while also supporting fairness, economic development, and environmental sustainability.
To achieve this, TRANSCEND has built a new ecosystem of innovation made up of three strongly connected elements. First, it established a knowledge and dialogue network that brings together water users, public authorities, scientists, and civil society. This network supports learning, trust‑building, and the joint design of solutions. Second, TRANSCEND delivered a set of decision‑support models that combine social, economic, environmental, and climate information. These models help decision‑makers understand future risks and compare alternative policy options before acting. Third, the project developed water accounting and monitoring tools that make water use more transparent and measurable, helping authorities and users put agreed solutions into practice and ensure they are respected.
These tools and approaches have been applied in river basins already experiencing serious water stress in Europe and beyond, including sites in Spain, Italy, Greece, Slovakia, South America, the Middle East, and India. Working in very different contexts has demonstrated that TRANSCEND solutions are adaptable and relevant across regions. The project has also trained professionals and decision‑makers, helping to spread new skills and ways of thinking about water management.
Together, these results provide practical tools, tested approaches, and real‑world evidence to support deep and lasting changes in how water scarcity is addressed. TRANSCEND contributes directly to climate adaptation efforts in Europe and globally, with clear potential to inspire action in many more river basins in the coming years.
