Rich Waters was Sweden’s first integrated project (IP) within the EU’s LIFE Programme. The project started in January 2017 and was implemented for 7,5 years. The overall goal was to improve the aquatic environment in the Northern Baltic Sea River Basin District.
Rich Waters was a partnership between national authorities, municipalities, companies, researchers and water preservation associations. The project aimed to boost the full implementation of the River Basin Management Plan 2016-2021 of the Northern Baltic Sea District.
This target district hosts one third of Sweden’s population and one of Europe´s fastest growing metropolitan regions. Environmental problems include eutrophication, acidification, and physical changes on the water environment. This occurs as a result of significant nutrient discharge by households and farming, lowered lake systems, and canalised rivers and regulated river basins, physical effects on the banks, and over-exploitation of water resources in the coastal zone.
Specific objectives
The specific objectives of LIFE IP Rich Waters were to:
- Mobilise capacity and resources to implement concrete measures;
- Increase the knowledge among all target groups to make the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan more efficient;
- Stimulate and inspire concrete measures by implementing showcase and high impact measures;
- Reduce the load of nutrients, environmental pollutants and the number of barriers for fish; and
- Improve the capacity for new technology and innovative solutions, to increase cost efficiency.
These objectives were achieved through implementation of concrete measures, as well as the development of effective policy instruments, capacity building and innovation.
Themes and projects
LIFE IP Rich Waters has focused on six main thematic areas: stormwater, environmental pollutants, free fish migration, internal loading, municipal water planning and eutrophication from agriculture.
Project partners
Protecting and preserving our waters is a shared responsibility. Water cuts across geographical and organisational boundaries. The river basin management is based on the water’s natural flow. It calls for a broad collaboration about measures for better water.
Rich Waters involved 35 beneficiaries, representing the most important stakeholders in the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan. National agencies, such as the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management and the Swedish Board of Agriculture, participated in the project to ensure that the results are spread throughout the country. We also collaborated and exchanged experiences with other EU countries.
National authorities
Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management
County Administrative Boards
County Administrative Board of Dalarna
County Administrative Board of Västmanland
County Administrative Board of Stockholm
County Administrative Board of Södermanland
County Administrative Board of Uppsala
County Administrative Board of Örebro
County Administrative Board of Kalmar
County Administrative Board of Norrbotten
County Administrative Board of Västernorrland
County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland
Municipalities
Water preservation associations
Lake Hjälmaren water preservation association
Lake Mälaren water preservation association
Nyköping rivers water preservation association
Private companies, NGOs
Universities, research
Swedish Environmental Research Institute, IVL
Swedish University of Agricultural Science, SLU
Results
When an EU-funded project comes to an end, the project must summarise how the work has been conducted, the results that have emerged and the long-term environmental benefits that the project has led to in a so-called layman’s report. LIFE IP Rich Waters presents the layman’s report as a photo book with pictures by nature photographer Johan Hammar.
Layman´s Report: Lessons learned and results from LIFE IP Rich Waters 2017–2024
All the projects within Rich Waters have produced several publications containing descriptions of work methods, techniques and concrete results in the environment. All of the publications have a summary in English and some of them have been published in a full English version
Project management
LIFE IP Rich Waters was coordinated by the County Administrative Board of Västmanland. The project management team is hosted within the offices of the regional water authority.
Water IP Network Meeting 2021
On April 20-22 2021, LIFE IP Rich Waters organized Water IP Network Meeting, a three day digital conference for the European integrated projects that are focusing on water. In total 150 people from 15 countries participated, where 20 different LIFE IP projects were represented.
