Interreg -SUDOE project SOLLAGUA Nature-based solutions (NBS) for water reuse in rural areas of Spain, Portugal and France

SOLLAGUA aims to promote Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for water reuse in the South-West of the European Union. The region faces major challenges linked to water scarcity due to a semi-arid environment, a growing population and climate change. The project aims to address these challenges by implementing sustainable water management strategies in three rural communities in Portugal, Spain and France.

The aim is to provide a resilient water supply while offering co-benefits such as climate change mitigation and adaptation. The project will change practices by encouraging the adoption of green and innovative technologies in public procurements. These changes promote a circular economy based on the reuse of local wastewater, while providing a new source of water and an alternative to end-of-pipe installations. This transition is suited to rural areas, which are generally less populated, with a more moderate economy than urban areas.
Achievements include capacity building on nature-based solutions for domestic wastewater reuse and the creation of three demonstration sites. The demo sites will be achieved through Nature-Based, Water-oriented Living Laboratories (NB-WoLL). The Living Labs will lead to cooperation between governments, universities, companies and users in an open innovation environment. The project will benefit all entities involved in water management. Transnational cooperation will enable the sharing of experiences and lessons learned from the project and promote their replication. The strategy will ensure alignment results with the EU legal framework for reuse.

SOLLAGUA has started in January 2024 for a duration of three years. The total budget is 1 852 416€, co-financed at 75% by the EU Interreg Sudoe program. The scientific coordinator, Magali Gerino, is an Environmental Science Professor at the University of Toulouse, France. She benefited from the neOCampus network and previous Interreg projects (Tr@nsnet and Aguamod) to build Sollagua. The next step in the Sollagua project will be the online publication of a questionnaire about the different dimensions of recycled water needs in the rural area. In parallel, a second on-site “reclaim water needs” seminar, called “living lab”, will be organised by the University of Toulouse. The first living lab was organised by the Portuguese partners Tecnico Lisboa and Águas do Tejo Atlântico. The Spanish partner Promedio will be in charge of the third and last seminar.

The partnership is composed of:

SOLLAGUA also benefits from the support of its associated partners:

For more ino=formation about the project SOLLAGUA visit the project website on the Interreg-SUDOE platform at: https://interreg-sudoe.eu/en/proyecto-interreg/sollagua/

Author:
Alida LEFTER
European Projects coordinator,
Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier
France.
www.univ-tlse3.fr