STARS4Water: Making Europe’s rivers climate-resilient
Water availability in our European rivers, such as the Rhine, is coming under increasing pressure as a result of climate change. Over a four-year period, the EU project STARS4Water saw knowledge shared from seven European river basins. The aim: to examine the effects of the changing climate on nature, society and the economy. Deltares coordinated this research and is organising the concluding conference in Delft.
The hot, dry summer of 2026 demonstrated the need to look beyond borders and sectors when considering future water availability. STARS4Water began this work in October 2022, a year that was already characterised by drought measures, though river flows had not yet reached record lows. The urgency of Europe addressing water availability is therefore certainly being felt.
The project involved intensive collaboration between water managers and research institutions across Europe. Such partnerships form the basis for an effective approach to water challenges in a rapidly changing climate. “Linking new scientific knowledge and data techniques with practical experience and expertise is a key prerequisite for identifying widely supported, effective measures,” said Harm Duel, coordinator of STARS4Water,
Next-generation tools for river basins
Led by Deltares, STARS4Water has spent the past four years developing the next generation of tools and services for river basins. These support the management of water resources.
Judith ter Maat, an expert in river basin management, says: “These are not ‘one-size-fits-all’ tools, but bespoke solutions, developed in collaboration with users and stakeholders. Each of the seven hubs (river basins), as we call them, has received new tools or an upgrade, enabling them to gain a better understanding of water availability within their water system and to develop plans for their river basin. It’s worth noting that, across the seven hubs, stakeholders and the responsible management organisations were actively involved in determining what they needed.”
Final conference attracts considerable interest
The final conference will take place at Deltares in Delft on 15 and 16 September. On the first day, the focus will be on translating the scientific findings into policy. Ter Maat: “This is an important day because now that the seven river basins are obtaining results from the tools, the question is how they can translate these into strategies and objectives at EU level.
We’re also looking at practical applications: what can this knowledge be used for in day-to-day operations? How does it benefit countries within the river basins? How can this be translated into river basin planning, licensing, prioritisation of water use, agreements on water allocation, and adaptation in the context of climate change?”
The second day focuses on knowledge-sharing amongst scientists. How were the models and tools developed, what improvements have been made, and what further possibilities exist?
There is a great deal of interest in this conference from across Europe, including from river basins that are not hubs in the project. Ter Maat: “That makes sense, because what we have done in the seven hubs can also be used by other river basins with local adaptation, knowledge and expertise. STARS4Water has also taken this into account with the Academy instructional videos and the manuals it has produced.”
