SpongeBoost exists to bring about positive change by fostering collaboration and sharing knowledge to understand better the climate risks we face and will face in the future. Through active participation, we strive to develop and promote innovative sponge solutions.

Advanced restoration measures, offering multiple benefits, will be integrated into comprehensive strategies and plans. 

The project aims to rapidly implement and expand these solutions, making them integral components of resilient landscapes. This approach aligns with the vision of the Green Deal and contributes to building a better, safer future.

In recent years, Europe's landscapes have become the victims of extreme events - ranging from floods to droughts - that have caused considerable damage to nature as well as human society.

To tackle such severe circumstances, the newly-started Horizon Europe-funded project SpongeBoost will be working towards effectively increasing or restoring the natural water retention function of the landscape. Hydrologically well-connected landscapes can act like sponges, helping to retain water and release it with a delay to mitigate extreme hydrological events.

Ideally, the landscape structure helps to regulate the water balance and thus improve ecological resilience. 

The project's core values envision a future with heightened public awareness and support for the crucial role of sponges in climate change adaptation.

Success will mean improved implementation of innovative solutions and best practices, leading to enhanced sponge functions in landscapes. 

Additionally, the project aims to integrate cutting-edge knowledge on sponges into decision-making processes and policies, creating a future where these values drive positive change and resilience.

Through a roadmap, SpongeBoost will guide transformative changes, quantifying benefits, addressing challenges, and offering tested solutions. Employing both bottom-up and top-down approaches, the project will foster networking and synergy at regional and EU levels.

Consortium members, involved in various restoration projects, contribute to SpongeBoost's overarching ambition to positively impact land and water management for climate change adaptation.