Nature-based solutions are taking shape across the Lèze River Basin in southern France, where the local team has completed a series of on-the-ground interventions designed to restore natural water retention and strengthen resilience to floods and droughts.
The three complementary sponge measures are:
A 140-metre riparian forest in Lézat-sur-Lèze, combining an area under assisted natural regeneration, a double row of planted trees and shrubs, a dead hedge, and a second double row of planting along the river corridor.
In Le Fossat, a community planting event where approximately ten local residents came together to establish a new riparian forest through the planting of a double-row hedge.
Moreover, six swales stretching over 320 metres are helping transform the landscape into a natural sponge. Located at the bottom of the catchment, they capture runoff from the entire upstream watershed, slowing water flows and allowing more water to soak into the ground. Trees planted along the swales not only enhance water infiltration but also create wildlife corridors, boost biodiversity and strengthen the landscape’s resilience to floods and droughts.
Together, these interventions demonstrate how different sponge measures can work in combination to restore natural processes. Riparian forests help stabilise riverbanks, improve biodiversity and provide shade, while swales capture and slow runoff, allowing more water to infiltrate into the soil and reducing erosion.
The SpongeWorks project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101156116 and from the UK Research and Innovation/HM Government. The project runs from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2028.
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
