Ινστιτούτο Εδαφοϋδατικών Πόρων

NBS360 is a Mediterranean-wide innovation initiative designed to turn Nature-Based Solutions from scattered pilots into scalable, mainstream practices for water security, climate resilience and ecosystem restoration. The project delivers integrated and hybrid NbS across seven demonstration sites, addressing interconnected challenges such as erosion, salinisation, floods, droughts, inefficient irrigation and wetland degradation. It combines real-time environmental monitoring, harmonised data systems and advanced modelling within a Digital Twin and Decision Support framework to guide evidence-based planning and cost-effective scaling. Through participatory governance, Living Labs and inclusive stakeholder engagement, NBS360 co-designs solutions that strengthen local livelihoods and social cohesion. Long-term impact is secured via innovative financing mechanisms, open knowledge tools and structured scaling pathways that embed NbS into policy, practice and community stewardship across diverse Mediterranean contexts.

The RAINS project aims to help European farmers, especially in southern regions such as Greece and Spain, be more resilient against extreme weather events such as drought and torrential rains. Both Greece and Spain belong to the Mediterranean region, which is the region most affected by drought and water scarcity forecasts in Europe. RAINS will bring together farmers, researchers, businesses, government officials, and community groups (a “quadruple helix” of stakeholders) to work together. They’ll share ideas, test solutions, and discuss how to use these new techniques in everyday farming. The overall goal of the project is for the demo farms to use water and fertilisers more efficiently and sustainably – saving water, improving crop health, enhancing resilience to extreme weather, while also influencing agricultural policies and farming practices across the EU.

The National Water Monitoring Network (NWMN) was defined in 2011 by Joint Ministerial Decision 140384/2011 and amended in 2021 by J.M.D. 107168/1444/2021. It includes the national network operators, stations and monitoring parameters. The NWMN systematizes and expands previous monitoring networks, based on the requirements and specifications of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and other relevant Community Directives, such as the Directive on the protection of water against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources (91/676/EEC), the Directive on the management and protection of groundwater (2006/118/EC) and the Directive on priority substances (2008/105/EC). The operation of the NWMN ensures the systematic monitoring of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the internal surface (rivers and lakes), transitional, coastal and groundwater of the country, with the aim of evaluating/classifying their qualitative (ecological and chemical) and quantitative status and assessing the long-term changes resulting from anthropogenic factors, in combination with the implementation of the Programs of Measures for the protection and restoration of water bodies provided for in the River Basin Management Plans. The SWRI - Research Unit of Sindos participated in the 2 previous programming periods of the NWMN, 2013-2015 (EPPERAA) and 2018-2023 (YMEPERAA) as well as in the current one starting in April 2024 and ending in December 2029 (PEKA). The object of the SWRI - Sindos Research Unit during the current implementation period is: 1. Execution of water measurements in 85 streams (quantitative data) 2. Performing surface water sampling of rivers in 161 Monitoring Stations 3. Laboratory determinations of "Other Substances" in 16 Rivers and 13 Lakes 4. Reform and Expansion of the River flow Monitoring Network The SWRI - Research Unit of Sindos, based on hydrological observations and approaches of all locations of the hydrometric network, has installed and operates an extensive automated telemetry monitoring network for measuring the level or the level-speed in a total of 45 locations in rivers of the country. Through the NWMN, the country has acquired time series of data that document the situation and trends in the country's water bodies, so that the competent services can prioritize and take the appropriate conservation and management measures each time. With long-term monitoring, the improvement or not in the state of the water bodies is recorded and therefore the possibility of evaluating the effectiveness of these measures is given. The data are forwarded to the General Directorate of Water of the Ministry of Environment and Energy and are posted both in the NWMN's database and on the Ministry's project-specific website (https://edp.ypen.gr/).

The VENUS project aims to transform marginal lands across the Mediterranean Basin into productive and sustainable agroecosystems by promoting the cultivation of neglected and underutilized species (NUS). Its objectives are structured to support both environmental restoration and socio-economic resilience through evidence-based demonstration, knowledge transfer, and stakeholder engagement. First, it will generate solid data on the ecological and economic benefits of NUS cultivation and implement Mediterranean demonstration sites to showcase sustainable practices. The project will empower farmers with the skills and market connections needed to integrate NUS into existing agricultural systems. A thorough assessment of the scalability and adaptability of NUS across diverse Mediterranean landscapes will guide future expansion. Additionally, VENUS prioritizes awareness-raising to catalyze broader adoption of sustainable land management practices. Finally, the project emphasizes gender equality and youth empowerment, ensuring inclusive participation in all activities and promoting long-term regional development.

The GOV4ALL project aims to transform soil management and rural development across Mediterranean regions through participatory innovation and systemic change. It seeks to demonstrate that regional-level transformations in soil governance are possible by empowering rural communities and deploying a bottom-up approach that brings together farmers, scientists, NGOs, policymakers, and the public. To achieve this, GOV4ALL will establish five agro-innovation Living Labs in France, Spain, and Greece that act as rural regeneration hubs where stakeholders co-design, test, and validate regenerative soil practices tailored to local contexts. The project’s objectives include exploring regional needs and multi-actor governance models, creating sustainable business frameworks for the hubs, defining harmonized soil health baselines, co-creating scalable soil management solutions, and disseminating innovations and best practices throughout and beyond the Mediterranean. GOV4ALL aims to foster long-term socio-economic and ecological resilience by integrating sustainable farming with rural prosperity.

NexusLabs aims to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of water, energy, and food use in Mediterranean irrigated agriculture by providing stakeholders with a comprehensive package of innovative solutions. These solutions will be tested and demonstrated in real-world Living Labs and integrated into novel, holistic tools for scenario analysis and impact assessment, fully addressing the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus. In parallel, the project will implement targeted training and market preparation strategies to enable scaling across broader regions and user communities. In the context of NexusLabs, SWRI is responsible of leading the Living Lab established in the Pinios Hydrologic Observatory (Thessaly, Greece).

The project aims to create a new closed value chain by formulating a soil amendment product based on the revalorization of 2 by-products (biochar and digestates) obtained from the bio-waste management and processing (pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion). This innovation will demonstrate the agricultural benefits and financial advantages of using the soil amendment in impoverished soils, simultaneously harnessing the synergies between agriculture and renewable gas production.