The main focus of the SloWater project is to enhance the retention capacity of aquifers, soil, aquatic and water dependent ecosystems with a view to improving their status. They are multi-functional measures that can protect water resources and address water-related challenges by restoring or maintaining ecosystems as well as natural features and characteristics of water bodies using natural means and processes. Water NbS typically involves slowing or storing flood water to attenuate flood runoff with a catchment based approach.
It covers a spectrum of techniques from full-scale river restoration to smaller scale land management measures such as the strategic placement of large woody debris in channels. Studies have shown that this concept is effective for small and medium events, but almost negligible for the largest and less frequent floods: this holds true for all different hydro-climatic regions, and with different landuse, soils and morphological settings.
Water NbS (Nature based Solution) is sometimes referred to as Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM), Natural Flood Management (NFM) or Building with Nature (BwN).
Recently the European Commission has been trying to capture all these terms utilising the Nature based Solution (NbS) terminology. NbS has the potential to meet a wide range of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
