Photo credit: Construction of Sperichios River NBS Open-Air Laboratory, Source: Region of Central Greece Government
SHORT SOLUTION · NATURE-BASED RESILIENCE
Key information
| Title | Spercheios River Nature-Based Solutions Open-Air Laboratory (OPERANDUM) |
| Region and Country | Central Greece |
| Hazard | Drought; Cross-cutting resilience (flood and water security) |
| Action Type | Pilot / Project |
| Maturity | Pilot stage |
| Strategy or Guiding Policy | This action originates from the EU Horizon2020 OPERANDUM Project (2018–2022). |
| Key links | Operandum Project Greece Website Operandum Greece Leaflet Flooding in Spercheios – Mitigation by NBS Video |
Action Description
The Region of Central Greece, participating in the EU-funded Horizon2020 OPERANDUM project, utilized the Spercheios River Basin as an "Open-Air Laboratory" to find a solution for the flooding the region experiences due to heavy rainfall and snowmelt between October and May, as well as the water scarcity it faces during summer months. These issues also have negative impacts on the region’s agricultural and livestock industry.
To solve this, Over a 54-month period (July 2018 – December 2022), the project focused on two regions within the Basin, Komma and Zilefto. In Komma, the team focused on widening the riverbeds, stabilizing banks, and removing vegetation to build out a natural reservoir. In Zilefto, the team focused on re-meandering the rivers course to build out a similar reservoir. With the creation of these two reservoirs, the river was able to absorb far more flood water during the wet months and retain that water to be used for irrigation for the summer dry months. The pilot demonstrated a dual-purpose efficiency.
Impacts
These reservoirs have been measured to effectively capture over 600,000 m³ (approx. 486 acre-feet) in Komma and 30,000 m³ in Zilfeto to prevent downstream flooding. This stored water functioned as a natural recharge mechanism for local aquifers, providing a strategic irrigation reserve during the region’s increasingly severe dry seasons.
Cost/ Funding Source
The project was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 776848. The broader research framework behind this Open-Air Laboratory (OAL Greece)—the OPERANDUM project—had a total budget of €14,696,501.68. Source ↗
Best Practice Principles
Assess needs and limits prior to NBS design. Analyze areas’ space constraints, flood and drought risks and history to determine appropriate project design. Limited space constraints, for instance, can encourage the build out of multiple smaller projects as opposed to one larger project.
River Landscape Management. Incorporation of slight changes to landscape (i.e. expansion of riverbanks, re-meandering riverway courses) to ensure regions are better protected in the event of droughts or flooding.