FP7_ENV.2013.6.5-3

 FP7_ENV.2013.6.5-3 is an FP7 Environment 2013 topic focused on improving the production, sharing and use of water‑related environmental information to better manage climate‑ and human‑induced changes in European water resources. It supports large collaborative projects that integrate monitoring, modelling, data platforms and governance approaches across river basins and Member States.​

What the call is about

• Theme and area: Environment (including climate change), sub‑theme water resources and ecosystems, under the “ENVIRONMENT 2013: ONE‑STAGE / TWO‑STAGE” calls.​
• The topic addresses fragmentation of water data, limited interoperability between monitoring systems and the need for near‑real‑time information to support EU water and climate directives.​
• Typical projects create integrated information systems combining in‑situ monitoring, Earth observation, models and stakeholder tools for decision‑making.​

Main objectives

• Develop and pilot an EU‑level framework for sharing water‑related information among authorities, operators and citizens, aligned with the Water Framework Directive and related policies.​
• Enhance the capacity to detect, forecast and respond to changes in water availability, quality and risks (floods, droughts, pollution) under climate and socio‑economic pressures.​
• Support more efficient, transparent and participatory water governance at river‑basin and cross‑border scales, including better reporting and compliance mechanisms.​

KPIs and expected impacts

• Operational KPIs:
  • Number of interoperable data services, portals or platforms deployed at basin, national or EU level.​
  • Increase in spatial/temporal coverage and quality of water‑related datasets used by authorities (e.g. more monitoring stations, higher update frequency).​
• Policy and impact KPIs:
  • Demonstrated improvements in implementing EU water directives (e.g. more robust status assessments, more timely reporting, better targeting of measures).​
  • Degree of stakeholder uptake: count of agencies, utilities, SMEs and user groups actively using the new information tools in pilot regions.​
• Scientific and innovation KPIs:
  • New models, indicators and methodologies for assessing water‑related climate impacts and adaptation options.​
  • Publications, standards, open datasets and re‑usable software components released to the wider community.​

Typical partners involved

• Public authorities and agencies responsible for water management, river‑basin planning and environmental reporting (national, regional, river‑basin level).​
• Research organisations and universities specialising in hydrology, climate science, environmental modelling, GIS and information systems.​
• Technology providers and SMEs offering monitoring equipment, remote sensing, ICT platforms and data‑analytics solutions, together with user organisations such as utilities and NGOs.​

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