Addressing aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss through nature-based solutions

Expected outcome

This topic aims at directly engaging and supporting public authorities and other relevant socio-economic actors (e.g. farmers, landowners, aquaculture producers, tourist operators, fishers, businesses, water management authorities) in addressing aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss, thereby demonstrating and accelerating the transitions needed for achieving one or several objectives of the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”. The direct involvement of relevant authorities and stakeholders in the consortium is strongly encouraged. Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes: Member States and Associated Countries are provided with cost-effective solutions to reach the targets of the Water Framework and the Marine Strategy Framework directives, the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, and the EU strategy for sustainable chemicals and are enabled to take action to implement the targets of the EU biodiversity, climate adaptation and water resilience strategies for 2030 and the EU zero pollution action plan; National, regional and local authorities and other relevant stakeholders have access to and are supported in deploying cost-effective, adaptative and nature-positive solutions to remediate and reduce pollution from nutrients, chemicals, plastics and microplastics from source to sea, while protecting and restoring the capacity of ecosystems to provide services and adapt to climate change impacts; Measurable, quantifiable, verifiable and ambitious progress towards reaching one or several interlinked objectives and targets of the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”, as set out in the Mission Implementation Plan [1] through implementing effective and well-managed place-based and people-centred actions; Public and private investment is encouraged and mobilised to implement nature-positive solutions for addressing pollution in the ocean and waters.

Scope

Pollution of freshwater and marine environments from nutrients, chemicals and plastics including microplastics poses proven risks to human and environmental health. As the latest assessments of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Water Framework Directive have shown, large parts of Europe’s groundwater bodies, rivers, lakes, coastal, transitional and marine waters have not reached good ecological or good environmental status and often exceed regulatory threshold levels set to avoid potential risk to human health and the environment. In addition, land and sea uses changes as well as increasing climate change impacts are cumulative drivers of biodiversity erosion and of ecosystems services in the continuum from watershed to coastal and marine ecosystems. Nature-positive approaches and solutions are particularly promising to address both aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss, such as Nature-based Solutions (NbS) [2] , including protection and restoration measures, hybrid NbS, bioremediation (with plants or other organisms), regenerative practices and methods (e.g. via the farming of bivalve molluscs and algae), agro-ecological measures, management measures across biomes including for mobile and migratory species, technologies or other relevant innovation. Proposals should address all the following issues: Based on a sound understanding of the main pollution sources and the connectivity between watersheds, coastal and marine ecosystems, identify, assess and make available to stakeholders the most regionally relevant and effective nature-positive solutions and combinations thereof to address pollution and biodiversity loss, considering their relevance under future climate and biodiversity scenarios; Test and upscale systemic and innovative combinations of nature-positive approaches, solutions and new technologies to reduce nutrient, chemical, plastic including microplastic pollution, considering together functionally connected freshwater, coastal and marine eco

What this means for cities and regions

Addresses aquatic pollution and biodiversity loss in coastal and freshwater systems through nature-based solutions — relevant for coastal cities, port authorities, river-basin authorities and regional environmental agencies. Project size around €5 million per grant in a €31 million envelope; consortium-based; close 23 September 2026.