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MAURICE

Project overview

Management of urban water resources in Central Europe facing climate change

The impact of climate change is increasingly important for the design, construction, and maintenance of water infrastructure. Scarcity of water resources due to extreme weather events and falling groundwater levels threaten our cities and regions. The MAURICE project introduces new water management solutions for cities. The partnership helps to integrate these into broader concepts on regional climate change adaptation and encourages the uptake of urban water management tools and measures.

2,92m €

Project Budget

80%

of the Budget is funded by ERDF

Layer 1

6

Countries

6

Regions

11

Partners

6

Pilots

Duration

Start date

End date

Project progress

58%

About the project

Climate changes pose a risk to water resources availability in many Central Europe countries. The regions need to increase resilience to extreme weather events as urban droughts and floods as well as depletion of urban groundwater resources. Both falling groundwater levels in long term and the excessive amounts of water in short period become urgent risks to be tackled by adequate water management practises. The project aims to enhance the capacity of regions in Central Europe for climate change resilience in the aspect of urban water resources management by joint development of climate change adaptation solutions. The project solutions to be adopted by public administrations and water management bodies will result in a change in water management and spatial planning practices to increase the resilience to climate change in regions. The cooperation network of 11 organisations will jointly develop and implement 6 pilot actions, 8 solutions, 6 action plans and strategies to the benefit of cities, regions and related water management and water supply organisations. In three years of cooperation we expect that undertaken activities and established cooperations will allow to increase awareness of local and regional policy makers through implementation of joint developed good practices to climate change adaptation of regions in the context of urban water management.

Project partnership

Project partners

Polska (PL)

Lead partner

Central Mining Institute

Department of Water Protection
Address
Plac Gwarków 1
40-166 Katowice
Country
Poland (PL)
Web
www.gig.eu

Project partner

Biuro ds. Geologii / Geology office
Address
Św. Wojciecha 100
43-600 Jaworzno
Country
Poland (PL)
Web
www.um.jaworzno.pl
Total partner budget
236,496 €
Amt für Umweltschutz (Department for Environmental Protection)
Address
Gaisburgstraße 4
70182 Stuttgart
Country
Germany (DE)
Web
www.stuttgart.de
Total partner budget
517,950 €
Address
Masarykovo náměstí 1
504 01 Nový Bydžov
Country
Czechia (CZ)
Web
www.novybydzov.cz
Total partner budget
256,258 €
Ústav pro nanomateriály, pokročilé technologie a inovace / Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation
Address
Studentska 2
46001 Liberec
Country
Czechia (CZ)
Web
www.tul.cz
Total partner budget
261,870 €
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA)
Address
Piazza L. Da Vinci 32
20133 Milano
Country
Italy (IT)
Web
www.polimi.it
Total partner budget
369,600 €
Address
Via Ariosto 30
20145 Milan
Country
Italy (IT)
Web
etvilloresi.it
Total partner budget
301,796 €
Groundwater - Hydrogeology
Address
Dimičevaulica 14
1000 Ljubljana
Country
Slovenia (SI)
Web
www.geo-zs.si
Total partner budget
243,552 €
Address
Vodovodna cesta 90
1001 Ljubljana
Country
Slovenia (SI)
Web
www.vokasnaga.si
Total partner budget
163,751 €
Department of Hydrotechnics
Address
Hallerovaaleja 7
42000 Varaždin
Country
Croatia (HR)
Web
www.gfv.unizg.hr
Total partner budget
148,391 €
ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES
Address
Trgslobode 12
42000 Varaždin
Country
Croatia (HR)
Web
www.varazdin.hr
Total partner budget
51,996 €

Roadmap

1

Challenge

We tackle the challenges of managing changing water quality, rainwater management and groundwater deficit management. We identified six different areas to support water resources in cities and preserve them for future generations. Our pilot actions aim to address the difficulties faced by various regions in Central Europe.

2

Problem

3

Solution

We provide climate change-adaptation solutions for public administration, water management and supply bodies in Central Europe. These joint-developed solutions together with a management strategy for modern urban water management considering climate change will foster behavioural change in water management and spatial planning practices.

News

Pilot actions

Outputs

MAURICE network for enhancing climate change resilience in urban and regional water management

In the early stages of the project, a network has been created to encourage cross-border collaboration. This network, comprising project partners and associated partners, will engage in workshops and capacity-building activities to enhance urban water management skills. Its aim is to highlight relevant issues within each region's agenda and to advocate for their integration into the education and training of professionals.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans
In development

Transnational Water Management strategy and action plans for the six municipalities /regional areas considered by the project

The transnational water management strategy and action plans of the six project partners are collaboratively crafted through a co-creation and design process, drawing insights from pilot activities. A comprehensive summary report will offer general direction for local and regional processes, consolidating the outcomes of local pilot initiatives as exemplary practices.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans
In development

Tools for groundwater behavior forecast as support for public authorities’ decision making

Following the completion of the project period in each pilot action area, public authorities will have access to numerical model tools and "what if" analysis. These resources enable the monitoring of the effects of implemented adaptation measures. Beyond the project's scope, these tools can also aid in supporting policy decisions and forecasting the potential impacts of future adaptation measures.
Type of output: Solutions
In development

The guidelines to ensure groundwater availability and climate change resilience by adaptation measures

Collaborating partners from Italy, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, and Croatia will collaborate to devise technical adaptation solutions for each pilot action, focusing on mitigating the impacts of climate change on groundwater availability. The outcome will be a comprehensive technical document outlining the solutions in detail, including the necessary implementation information. This resource will empower public authorities and stakeholders to implement the guidelines on a broader scale, extending to other Central European countries. The solutions will be collectively deliberated upon during meetings of the Regional Implementation Groups, aiming to drive the implementation of the water management strategy.
Type of output: Solutions
In development

The guidelines for public administration to implement the beneficial rainwater management

The guidelines encompass processes for implementing rainwater management within the urban water cycle with the aim of enhancing cities' resilience to climate change. It delineates the hazards associated with rainfall, evaluates the city's capacity for rainwater reuse (comprising the water management study, defining the city's boundaries based on rainfall effects, and the feasibility of rainwater harvesting and reuse). Furthermore, it discusses incorporating rainwater reuse into spatial and investment planning and overcoming barriers to implementing rainwater management measures.
Type of output: Solutions
In development

The guidelines for the selection of rainwater treatment technologies for further use

The guidelines provide criteria for selecting and evaluating technologies suitable for treating and purifying rainwater collected from different sources contaminated with various pollutants. These technologies are intended for urban applications such as irrigating urban green spaces, road sprinkling, humidifying during hot weather, incorporating into building systems, recharging groundwater, and more.
Type of output: Solutions
In development

The guidelines for designing blue-green infrastructure for rainwater retention and groundwater recharge

The guidelines focus on designing residential areas and urban spaces that prioritize local water retention, reducing runoff, and enhancing the infiltration of precipitation across various types of land cover. The design includes strategies for managing excess runoff water by utilizing it for landscape irrigation during dry periods and recharging groundwater.
Type of output: Solutions
In development

The use of the infiltration capacity map from field investigation to planning, consent and decision-making

This adopted technical document serves as a resource for planners, spatial planners, and consenting bodies. It provides criteria for climate resilient design, planning, and benchmarking of urban drainage interventions. The document focuses on technical criteria that directly relate to the effectiveness of spatial regulation elements.
Type of output: Solutions
In development

Surveying urban water mass flows and contaminants to set resilient drainage and infiltration targets

A technical document targeted towards sewerage managers and permit providers has been adopted as a concept for a focused study on mass flow distribution in urban areas. This study enables users to optimize sewerage and water treatment functions in order to enhance groundwater quality.
Type of output: Solutions
In development

MAURICE

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Project Contacts

Project Manager

Grzegorz Gzyl
Phone: +48322592454

Finance Manager

Marek Pieszczoch
Phone: +48322592562

Communication Manager

Anna Skalny
Phone: +48322592454