Innovative solutions to prevent, reduce and remediate nutrient pollution along the land-river-sea system in the Mediterranean basin

Projektinformationen

SEACURE

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: 101157327

DOI

10.3030/101157327

EK-Unterschriftsdatum 7 Juni 2024

Startdatum 1 September 2024

Enddatum 31 August 2028

Finanziert unter

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Gesamtkosten

€ 8 513 317,50

EU-Beitrag

€ 7 937 485,13

Koordiniert durch

FUNDACIO UNIVERSITARIA BALMES
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SEACURE (Innovative solutions to prevent, reduce and remediate nutrient pollution along the land-river-sea system in the Mediterranean basin)

Berichtszeitraum: 2024-09-01 bis 2026-02-28

Zusammenfassung vom Kontext und den Gesamtzielen des Projekts

Nutrient pollution from agricultural activities and inadequate wastewater treatment is wreaking havoc on water quality, soil health, and biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea basin. Excess nutrients contribute to soil degradation, eutrophication, algal blooms, and ecosystem imbalances worldwide. Addressing this issue requires an approach that spans landscapes, rivers, and seas. The EU-funded SEACURE project will demonstrate and scale up innovative solutions for nutrient management to prevent, reduce, and remediate nutrient pollution through sustainable land practices, improved wastewater treatment, and nature restoration actions. The project will focus on six demo regions in Spain, Italy, and Greece. SEACURE will also act on governance levers to upscale the effective strategies at regional level and replicate them across the Mediterranean and other sensitive European basins.

Arbeit, die ab Beginn des Projekts bis zum Ende des durch den Bericht erfassten Berichtszeitraums geleistet wurde, und die wichtigsten bis dahin erzielten Ergebnisse

The SEACURE project is currently in its first year of implementation. During these initial months, efforts have been primarily focused on analyzing the regional innovation ecosystems related to nutrient pollution. This has involved mapping and engaging with key stakeholders across four main sectors: academia, the public sector (regulatory bodies and policymakers), the private sector (industry representatives), and civil society (NGOs and potential end-users).

A comprehensive SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) has been carried out within each of the six territorial units to identify systemic challenges and innovation potential. Multi-stakeholder roundtables have taken place in all six units, enabling an in-depth, systemic assessment of the multifaceted problem of nutrient pollution, examining drivers, pressures, and impacts from various disciplinary and sectoral perspectives.

The project's demonstration sites are currently in the initial phase of designing and deploying the proposed solutions. This stage includes obtaining the necessary permits and preparing the sites for full implementation. In some cases, preliminary results from lab-scale testing of the solutions are already available, and these early findings are promising.

For the multicriteria feasibility assessment, the KPIs that will guide the techno-economic evaluations, societal acceptance studies, and environmental assessments have been identified. In parallel, the baseline for the nutrient budget analysis has also been defined.

Additionally, the main inputs for the development of the Multi-Criteria Decision Support Tool, as well as the baseline for the Open Call, have been established during these first months.

Finally, during these months, the project's communication strategy, visual identity, and website have been developed. The first communication and dissemination activities have already started.

Fortschritte, die über den aktuellen Stand der Technik hinausgehen und voraussichtliche potenzielle Auswirkungen (einschließlich der bis dato erzielten sozioökonomischen Auswirkungen und weiter gefassten gesellschaftlichen Auswirkungen des Projekts)

As the project is still in its early stages, final results are not yet available. However, preliminary analysis from some demo cases are showing promising results. In parallel, the stakeholder engagement activities and the analysis of the Regional Innovation Ecosystem carried out during these months have brought us, as a project, closer to the different stakeholders and have allowed us to start working together within the framework of nutrient pollution challenges.