At CETIM we are part of an alliance of 25 partners from 13 European countries in the project that will transform cities into “living laboratories” to guarantee flood management in Europe, through the application of water treatment technologies and with innovative financing and investment tools.

Floods and storms are the most common and costly disaster in Europe, as they lead to property damage, loss of life, infrastructure collapses, water pollution, soil erosion and habitat loss. In the last 30 years, floods in the territories of the European Union have affected 5.5 million people, caused 3,000 deaths and led to economic damage of more than 170 billion euros. And climate change aggravates this situation.

Nature-based Solutions (NBS) promise to be a great alternative to curb the effects of the climate crisis, but the projects where these solutions are developed are usually small, with difficulties in measuring and monetizing their co-benefits. Also, when the project’s funding runs out and even if the results have been positive, it is really difficult to continue the research and apply the solutions on a large scale.

At CETIM we want to change this situation and that is why we have joined an alliance of 25 partners from 13 European countries in RISE-IN. In this project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme, we will test the concept of ‘Bankability Readiness Level’, combining resilient solutions to climate change with innovative financing and investment tools.

Last May, all the RISE-IN partners met in Milan at the facilities of the Politecnico di Milano, which leads the initiative, in which CETIM participated together with Sustainable Finance Observatory, Ambiente Italia, EstraHub, TeraGlobus, Forum per la Finanza Sostenibile, Strane Innovation, Bluemapping, BIOPOLIS-CIBIO, University of Canterbury, as well as 14 other academic institutions.  local authorities, industry, small and medium-sized enterprises, non-governmental organisations and climate networks.

During this first RISE-IN meeting, the three climate risk assessment models that will be developed to reduce uncertainty regarding the risks associated with extreme events, water runoff and loss of capital were presented. These models will be implemented in Cesena (Italy), Christchurch (New Zealand) and Póvoa de Varzim (Portugal) to ensure flood management in Europe. In addition, they will be replicated in Ghent (Belgium), Zhytomyr (Ukraine) and Kadikoy (Turkey) and in three additional demonstrator city sites to test the impact of the concept, facilitate cost-effectiveness and scale implementation internationally.

CETIM will offer its disruptive water treatment technologies

From CETIM we will contribute our expertise in water treatment, evaluating an adaptable configuration, allowing customized and scalable solutions. Thus, we will give continuity to the rain garden that we have developed for the NICE project, which is currently in the pilot phase, and which will allow us to test adsorbent substrates that eliminate pollutants. In the same way, we will improve the Urban Drainage System that we developed at LIFE DrainRain for infiltration in urban areas with water treatment, contributing to a more sustainable management of water.

We will also contribute our knowledge in new innovative materials made from by-products and waste for the optimization of the most critical elements of the previously developed system, such as the permeable photocatalytic pavement and the active carbon filter.

RISE-IN combines climate risk assessment, co-creation and social innovation to transform cities into living laboratories, enabling the investment potential of climate-resilient solutions to be analysed, enhanced and unlocked. Thus, this project will not only mitigate climate risks, but will redefine how we will invest in our future.

RISE-IN receives funding from the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and Horizon Europe under Grant Agreement No. 101214441.