About INTERLAYER

Safeguarding Water Availability & Quality

Our PROJECT

About INTERLAYER

The complex INTERlink of safeguarding wAter availabilitY and quality to mitigate and adapt to hydroclimatic extRemes

This project focuses on how water retention technologies can contribute to improve resilience, adaptation and mitigation to hydroclimatic extreme events while increasing water availability and quality by balancing groundwater and surface water management practices. INTERLAYER is studying groundwater and surface water availability and relate it to land use (including specific agricultural practices) and water quality from a synergetic perspective so that available Slow Hydrology techniques are used in future River Basin Management Plans.

To reduce the risk of hydroclimatic extreme events, enhancing river basins’ ability to slow runoff and store water is crucial. This can be achieved through retention techniques that decrease water inflow velocity (Slow Hydrology). Instead of traditional drainage methods that quickly channel water downhill, we should retain precipitation in highlands through terrain modifications and runoff interception, recharging ground storage. This approach, inspired by ancient practices from the Iberian Peninsula and Arabic countries, will increase resilience to flooding and drought while supporting ecological quality.

Interlink between surface water and groundwater management

How Water Retention Measures (WRM) can promote slow hydrology at catchment level

Governance mechanisms that promote rapid uptake of improved technologies

Project Objectives

Develop cumulative adaptation strategies in the complex interlink between surface and groundwater management

European Retention Techniques

Create an inventory of European techniques including WRM (water retention measures), NBS (Nature-Based Solutions) and Bio-engineering that combine additive results in surface water retention promoting slow hydrology and groundwater recharge.

Impact Estimation

Generate an estimate of the impact of retention technologies (slow hydrology) applications on flood and drought risk, water availability, quality, and biodiversity at river basin scale in different edaphoclimatic contexts and settings in different future scenarios.

Knowledge Integration

Integrate local, indigenous, scientific, and technological knowledge in the co-production of resilient retention techniques.

Retention Evidence

Provide evidence for the integration of retention technologies for slow hydrology into adaptation measures to hydroclimatic extreme events in river basin management plans, contributing to safeguarding the availability and quality of the water as well as biodiversity and ecosystem services, in present and future climate.

Retention Toolbox

Deliver a “toolbox” for the successful integration of water retention technologies for slow hydrology to guarantee the availability and quality of the water.

Decision Support System

Deliver a cross-European fit-for-purpose Decision Support System (DSS) tool for the integration of water retention technologies in current and future River Basin Management Plans to ensure resilience towards flooding, droughts, loss of water quality and ecosystem services.

Policy Recommendations

Provide policy recommendations of best practices for water retention for slow hydrology implementation to contribute to watershed restoration through guidelines and workshops.

Replication Plan

Deliver a replication plan of water retention methods for slow hydrology technologies, and monitoring activities at European level.

Results Dissemination

Properly communicate and disseminate the results of INTERLAYER and clustering with other initiatives.

Expected Impact of the Project

Inventory of slow hydrology techniques

Living labs demonstration

The possibilities of Slow Hydrology techniques in four European settings: Guadiana River Watershed (PT/SP); Vaerebro River (DK); Liesing River (AT); Danube River (RO)

Models for analysis of interlinks between surface and groundwater

Models for selection of slow hydrology techniques

According to different climate scenarios

Policy guidelines and recommendations, business models and roadmap

For Water Retention Measures for Slow Hydrology uptake at European level in River Basin Management Plans and by different stakeholders.