Riparian ecosystems have long been disturbed and degraded as consequence of human activities. Restoration practices have focused on flow management and structural modification of watersheds, ignoring the role of biodiversity in providing ecosystem services through its contribution to the natural processes of rivers. To fill this gap, this project aims to study and compare the hydrological dynamics of different basins, wetlands and river systems from five countries (Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Spain) focusing on the understanding of the whole river catchment. This will be carried out by studying the ecological feedbacks and processes of restoring nature-based solutions (NBS), the role of biodiversity around them, the provision of ecosystem services and their benefits delivered, and the different methodologies and approaches used for this measurement. Special attention is planned to be paid to droughts, evaluating the base flow of the river during prolonged dry periods. 

The proposed methodology considers an analysis of historical data of the river basins, qualitative analysis of the system components, in-situ isotopic trace experiments and use of piezometer data, and quantitative methods to develop an integral trans-national comparison of cases. Thus, it will allow us to understand water recharge patterns during periods of drought and low water flow, as well as the benefits obtained around the good condition and management of upstream and downstream rivers with different socio-ecological contexts. Special emphasis will be placed on the process of participation and collaboration with stakeholders of the studied catchments to understand their local barriers, necessities, and governance structures. Therefore, the information obtained in this research will have great relevance to a wide range of stakeholders, including water companies, conservation organizations, and water managers and users. 

The lessons learned will be useful to understand the existing barriers towards the use of the ecosystem services approach in restoration processes. Thus, this research will integrate the ecological, social and political complexity of river management, focusing on NBS to restore their integrity and sustainability. The expected results will achieve Water4all's objectives by assessing the resilience of riparian ecosystems, producing robust knowledge and evidence for water management and decision making. They will also promote awareness about the role of biodiversity in the provision of ecosystem services and the relevance of integrating this approach in the governance and management of water resources.

This research project runs for 3 years (starting from January 2025) and is funded through The Water4All 2023 Joint Transnational Call on "Aquatic Ecosystem Services", with the EU and the funding organisations: 1) The Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), Belgium; 2) National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), Poland; 3) Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal; 4) Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), Spain.