Europe is increasingly relying on wetlands as a natural solution to the continent’s worsening droughts. The NBS4Drought project, backed by the European Union, is testing how restored and protected wetlands can help store and release water, maintain soil moisture, and support local water supplies during prolonged dry periods. Acting like giant natural sponges, these ecosystems capture rainfall and snowmelt, gradually releasing it into rivers and aquifers. The project brings together 24 partners from eight countries, aiming to demonstrate that nature-based approaches can be both effective and scalable for addressing water scarcity.
Droughts in Europe are growing longer and more severe, posing risks to agriculture, biodiversity, and human water needs. By restoring degraded wetlands, the project hopes to provide multiple benefits: storing freshwater, supporting wildlife, sequestering carbon, and buffering against both droughts and floods. This initiative aligns with broader EU environmental goals, such as the Nature Restoration Regulation, and builds on ongoing wetland restoration programs in countries like Spain, showing how ecosystem-based solutions can play a central role in climate adaptation strategies. More