AQUA-RESTORE: Co-Creating Freshwater Ecosystem Restoration Solutions through Living Labs and Integrated Ecological Monitoring

AQUA-RESTORE proposes an integrated approach to restoring degraded freshwater ecosystems through Living Labs involving researchers, local communities, environmental authorities, water managers and other stakeholders.

The initiative focuses on rivers, lakes, ponds, wetlands and associated habitats affected by pollution, climate change, habitat degradation and other anthropogenic pressures. It combines biodiversity research, hydrochemical analysis, spatial assessment and stakeholder participation to identify suitable Living Lab sites, co-develop restoration measures and evaluate their effectiveness.

Our proposed contribution includes six interconnected activities:

1. Identification of Living Lab sites and baseline assessment

Identifying and evaluating freshwater bodies suitable for Living Labs based on ecological condition, biodiversity value, degradation, restoration potential and feasibility of long-term monitoring. Assessments will integrate hydrobiological surveys, aquatic invertebrate identification, DNA barcoding, hydrochemical analysis and GIS-based habitat mapping. Site selection will also consider accessibility, stakeholder involvement and opportunities for practical restoration.

2. Co-design of restoration measures

Collaborating with local communities, environmental authorities, water managers and conservation organisations to identify restoration priorities and jointly develop feasible solutions. Biological and hydrochemical data will support the selection of measures addressing pollution, habitat degradation and loss of ecological functions.

3. Testing and monitoring restoration interventions

Supporting field-based testing of restoration measures through integrated biological and hydrochemical monitoring. Changes in species diversity, aquatic community structure, habitat condition and water quality will be assessed before, during and after interventions. Where feasible, restored sites will be compared with reference or control sites.

4. Indicators of restoration success and ecosystem resilience

Developing measurable biological and hydrochemical indicators to assess restoration effectiveness, ecosystem condition and resilience to environmental pressures. Indicators will include aquatic invertebrate diversity, community composition, selected water-quality parameters and habitat characteristics, supporting adaptive restoration management.

5. Spatial analysis and environmental risk assessment

Applying GIS-based mapping, spatial analysis and hydrochemical assessment to identify priority restoration areas, pollution-related pressures and vulnerable aquatic habitats. Integrated ecological, chemical and spatial datasets will support risk assessment and locally adapted restoration planning.

6. Implementation barriers and transferability

Contributing ecological evidence to interdisciplinary assessments of environmental, technical, institutional and socio-economic barriers to restoration. Together with stakeholders and consortium partners, we will evaluate the feasibility and transferability of tested solutions and develop recommendations applicable to other freshwater ecosystems.

Expected Contribution to the Consortium

Our research team offers expertise in aquatic biodiversity assessment, invertebrate ecology, molecular taxonomy, DNA barcoding, ecological monitoring and GIS-based spatial analysis. We propose to combine these methods with hydrochemical assessment to support Living Lab site selection, restoration planning and evaluation.

Proposed role: Scientific partner contributing to the identification and assessment of freshwater Living Lab sites, integrated biological and hydrochemical monitoring, biodiversity indicators, spatial analysis and evidence-based evaluation of restoration measures.

AQUA-RESTORE LAB aims to connect scientific research with stakeholder-driven restoration, supporting practical, measurable and transferable solutions that improve freshwater ecosystem resilience.