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Integrated projects (sub-programme for Environment, not for ClimateAction) are projects implemented on
a large territorial scale (regional,multi-regional, national or trans-national scale) environmental or climate plans or
strategies required by specificUnion environmental or climate legislation primarily in the areas of nature (including
Natura 2000 networkmanagement),water,waste, air and climate changemitigation and adaptation,while ensuring
involvement of stakeholders and promoting the coordinationwith andmobilisation of at least one other relevant
Union, national or private funding source.
Selecting,designingand implementingNWRM:pre-conditionsforensuringeffectiveness
Look forNWRMopportunities inEU fundingmechanisms!
Today, funding opportunities for NWRM exist in most of the EU funding mechanisms, in
particular: the EuropeanAgricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (which is Pillar 2
of the Common Agriculture Policy), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the
European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF). In particular, the Rural Development
Programs (RDP) represent a key source of financing for supporting NWRM, which can be
included under agri-environment climate measures, non-productive investment measures,
Natura2000andWFD-relatedpaymentsor forest/afforestationmeasures.Competitive funding
to support NWRM accounting for their multiple benefits is also available through the new
LIFE programme 2014-2020 that gives priority to integratedwater catchment projects
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while
still supporting smaller scaleprojects that offer opportunities for thedemonstrationofNWRM.
TheEU researchprogrammeHorizon2020alsooffers fundingopportunities forenhancing the
existingknowledgebaseonNWRMundertheChallengeClimateAction,Environment,Resource
Efficiency and RawMaterials. It also promotes demonstration activities and pilot pre-market
projects thatcan focusonNWRM implementation.
Box5
Combiningnational andEU funds
for supporting theSmallForestWaterRetentionProgram inPoland
The Small ForestWater RetentionProgram of Poland is a national scale
project implemented from 2007 to 2013 to increase water storage in
forests. Its objectives are, on the one hand, to increase water retention
andflood prevention, and on the other hand, to restorehabitats such as
wetlandsandmoors.TheProgrammewasco-financedby the
EUCohesion
Fund
. However, its implementation relied on previous experience on
implementing small water retentionmeasures in forest areas: from the
mid-90s, the Polish forest management authority undertook a variety
of small-scalewater retentionworks, financed from a combination of its
ownandexternal funds:
thePolishEcofund, and thePolishNationalFund
forEnvironmental ProtectionandWaterManagement.
SupportingWFDandhabitatsbenefitswithFloodRiskManagement funds:
exampleof theSigmaplan
Sigmaplan in Belgium is a nationally funded programme to manage
flood risks
in the Scheldt basin. It originated following the extensive tidal
floodingof 1976,with theaimof improvingprotection through improved
flooddefencesanduseoffloodcontrol areas.Thescaleof theprogramme
issuch that theworkhascontinuedsince theprogramme inception to the
present day,with thefirst phasenowhaving been completed. In2005, anupdated Sigmaplan
was developed,which evolved significantly in its aims and set out a secondphaseof schemes.
Today there is greater recognition of the risks of
climate change,
optimal approaches to
water
management,
and the desire to conserve and enhance
nature
. The revitalised Sigmaplan
places emphasis on allowing rivers space toflow andflood, and explicitly incorporatesnature
conservationobjectives, therebyachievingwiderbenefits from theextensivenational funding.
Illustration18
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