Calculating The Water Benefits of Nature Restoration

Water is an essential resource that unites people, nature, agriculture, and industry. However, North-Western Europe is facing increasing water stress due to high demand from dense populations, intensive agriculture, and large industrial needs. Climate change further complicates the issue, bringing unpredictable weather patterns that lead to both droughts and floods. Sustainable water management depends on the natural ecosystems that provide this vital resource.

Nature restoration can offer a solution by improving water retention in landscapes, acting as a buffer during droughts and enhancing infiltration during heavy rainfall. A decade-long restoration project has shown how nature can significantly contribute to water management. The project, located in the Kalmthout Heath Cross-Border Park on the Belgium-Dutch border, has increased water retention by up to 930,000 m³ annually.

“It’s amazing to see how the landscape transforms after filling a drainage ditch, allowing valuable water to serve nature.” - LIFE-HELVEX volunteer.

The Kalmthout Heath, a 4,000-hectare nature reserve known for its purple heathland flowers, has been part of the Ramsar Convention since 1986. However, a decade ago, droughts were threatening the area’s ecological value. This led to the LIFE-HELVEX project in 2014, a collaboration between the park, the Flemish Agency for Nature and Forestry, and nature preservation organizations Natuurpunt (BE) and Natuurmonumenten (NL).

Ecohydrological research revealed that the area’s former peatlands had dried out significantly. To address this, an additional restoration project, Interreg North Sea CANAPE, was launched. These efforts focused on restoring heathland, dunes, drifting sands, and peatlands, enhancing water retention through several key actions. Vegetation with high evaporative demand was removed, increasing infiltration by 214,000 m³ per year. Hydrological restoration included the removal or damming of drainage structures, installation of overflow wells for lake water management and re-profiling banks, adding 316,000 m³ in storage capacity. 

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The project also led to innovative approaches in water treatment and ecosystem services. A large-scale iron sand purification system was deployed to treat 230,000 m³ of agricultural runoff. Additionally, a payment-for-ecosystem-services (PES) agreement with the public water supplier allowed water surplus from a nearby lake to be redirected to an infiltrating wetland, pumping an average of 170,000 m³ of water annually. The finances of this PES allow for sustaining the nature management.

These restoration efforts have demonstrated how nature-based solutions can enhance water storage, infiltration, quality, and management. With an estimated annual volume of 930,000 m³, the project’s impact is significant—equivalent to the annual water use of 21,000 people in Europe.

#WaterWiseEU campaign 

This story has been submitted by a partner of the #WaterWiseEU campaign. The EU-wide campaign focuses on water resilience, aiming to change the way we see, use and value water. Find out more about the campaign and how you can get involved.