About Sponge
A water-resilient sponge landscape
Built through cross-border cooperation between partners in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine river basin.
Sponge supports local action in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine with co-funding for Nature based Solutions in the landscape, practical guidance, proven solutions, and a strong Euregional network.
Drought upstream, flooding downstream
Water flows from hills to valleys, from streams to rivers. In a natural landscape with trees and shrubs, water naturally goes where it is needed, moving freely without asking for directions.
But human actions are disrupting this natural flow, by weakening the natural sponge effect of the soil. Water is held for a shorter time. Higher areas become drier, while lower areas face more flooding, and the landscape loses its resilience. What was once in balance has become a risk. In the border region of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, we feel these effects every day, in our well-being and in our economy.
Yet it is possible to restore balance. By acting now and helping nature, we can reduce flooding and drought, strengthen the landscape, and keep damage manageable. That is why Sponge exists.
Drought upstream, flooding downstream
Water flows from hills to valleys, from streams to rivers. In a natural landscape with trees and shrubs, water naturally goes where it is needed, moving freely without asking for directions.
But human actions are disrupting this natural flow, by weakening the natural sponge effect of the soil. Water is held for a shorter time. Higher areas become drier, while lower areas face more flooding, and the landscape loses its resilience. What was once in balance has become a risk. In the border region of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, we feel these effects every day, in our well-being and in our economy.
Yet it is possible to restore balance. By acting now and helping nature, we can reduce flooding and drought, strengthen the landscape, and keep damage manageable. That is why Sponge exists.
Frequently asked questions
Sponge (Upstream-Downstream Solidarity and Partnership for Nature-based Adaptation and Governance in Cross-Border River Basins) is an international project within Interreg Meuse-Rhine, running from October 2025 to September 2028.
Within this project, partners from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany work together on measures to address drought and flooding in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. The project focuses on restoring the natural sponge effect of the landscape, so that rainwater is retained longer and flooding risks are reduced.
A sponge landscape is a landscape that can retain water and release it slowly, like a sponge. Forests, hedges, and grasslands help rainwater slowly soak into the soil. This reduces flooding and replenishes groundwater during dry periods. Due to deforestation, drainage, and construction, this balance has been disrupted, increasing the risk of both flooding and water scarcity.
Sponge operates in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine, in the border region around cities such as Maastricht, Liège, Aachen, and Hasselt. Partners from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany work together on landscape-scale solutions. Because water does not stop at borders, cooperation across the whole region is essential.
View the map of the project area View all participating municipalities
Sponge is open to any legal entity in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. That means not only landowners, farmers, agricultural organisations and nature organisations can submit an idea, but equally municipalities, water authorities and provinces, land-managing organisations and landscape parks, as well as businesses, knowledge institutions and civil society organisations. The one firm condition is that the project is located within the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. Not sure whether your organisation or your idea qualifies? Take the pre-check or get in touch and we will look at it with you.
Sponge provides financial support for local initiatives. The voucher covers 50% of the project budget; the applicant contributes the other 50%, of which at least 20% must come from their own resources or in-kind contributions. In the Netherlands, the Province of Limburg and the water authority add a further 30%, bringing co-financing there up to 80%. Think of planting hedges and trees, creating swales, or reorganising plots so that water is retained longer and drains away more slowly. Alongside funding, Sponge offers practical guidance, access to proven solutions and the backing of a strong Euregional network.
Do you have questions or would you like to share an idea with us? Please contact the programme management via: [email protected]
Do you have a specific question about submitting your project application? Please contact [email protected]
Turn your idea into action.
Do you have an idea to contribute to a water-safe sponge landscape? Sponge helps you go from idea to action with co-financing, guidance, proven solutions and a strong Euregional network.
Discover how we can help you and do the check.
