Workshop AQUAMAN Project Granada (Spain) 22nd October, 2025
Blue horizons: Innovative water solutions for tourism and climate-resilient regions
AQUAMAN PROJECT – Ready-to-use strategies for sustainable water management in coastal areas & islands and policy recommendations
22nd October, 2025
Higher Technical School of Architecture (ETSAG – UGR), Plaza Campo del Príncipe. Granada, Spain.
Context & Rationale
This workshop is designed to officially present and disseminate the Blue Horizons: Innovative water solutions for tourism and climate-resilient regions Catalogue, developed under the Interreg Euro-MED AQUAMAN Project. The Catalogue serves as a comprehensive repository of ready-to-use and adaptable solutions to address water scarcity challenges in Mediterranean islands and coastal tourist destinations under severe climate pressure.
By gathering policymakers, tourism sector representatives, Interreg Euro-MED Thematic Projects, researchers, and key stakeholders, the workshop will provide an interactive platform to explore the catalogue’s technical interventions collected from the partner countries integrated in the Interreg Euro-MED AQUAMAN Project, following their experience. The objective of this catalogue is to compile too and offer for reuse and transfer previous initiatives from other Projects and Programmes. As for nature-based and hybrid interventions, the catalogue includes constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and reuse (from the projects HYDROUSA and CARDIMED, Horizon Programme), or green roofs for stormwater management and urban cooling (Interreg Italia-Malta). These solutions deliver technical efficiency and environmental co-benefits, such as biodiversity enhancement, carbon sequestration, and improved climate resilience.
The document contains another section devoted to the Holistic Resource Management Plans, which provide structured approaches to water scarcity mitigation and cross-sectoral resource governance based on the WEFE Nexus principles. These plans created a framework for local authorities and stakeholders to manage water resources in a balanced and sustainable manner.
However, what sets this catalogue apart is its strong policy dimension. It includes carefully crafted policy recommendations derived from tools such as the White Paper on Governance and Climate Adaptation by Dialogue4Tourism Project (Interreg Euro-MED Program) or towards a zero-impact island. The ISOS project (Interreg Italy-France Maritime Program).
The workshop is a unique opportunity to foster dialogue, share experiences, and co-create pathways for the practical uptake of these solutions across diverse Mediterranean contexts, while laying the groundwork for the forthcoming transfer feasibility study of the Interreg Euro-MED AQUAMAN Project.
Focus of the workshop
- Present the Blue Horizons Catalogue and its portfolio of technical, nature-based, and hybrid interventions.
- Discuss holistic water scarcity mitigation strategies and their applicability in tourism-driven areas.
- Explore governance frameworks, policy tools, and incentives to enable systemic change.
- Facilitate knowledge exchange between EU-funded projects, regional authorities, and tourism stakeholders.
Expected outcomes
- Increased awareness and understanding of innovative water management solutions.
- Strengthened cooperation among Mediterranean stakeholders to address water scarcity in tourism regions.
- Policy-oriented inputs to feed the upcoming transfer feasibility study and future strategic actions.
- Enhanced collaboration of EU-funded initiatives promoting climate resilience and sustainable tourism.
