WATERISE was officially launched on November 25. Approved under the Interreg Euro‑MED Programme, WATERISE will run for 45 months, bringing together nine partners from five countries and six Mediterranean islands to address one of the region’s most urgent challenges: water scarcity in tourism‑dependent territories.
The consortium – composed of local authorities, research institutions, civil society organizations and tourism‑oriented networks from Italy, Spain, France, Cyprus and Malta – will work together to strengthen climate adaptation and water resilience in island communities.
The participating island territories – Pantelleria, Lampedusa, Menorca, Île Rousse (Corsica), Nicosia District (Cyprus) and the Eastern Region of Malta – offer diverse environmental and tourism profiles, making them ideal testing grounds for innovative solutions.
A core component of WATERISE is the testing of Nature‑based Solutions (NbS) to improve water management in overtourism‑affected areas. Across 12 pilot sites, partners will implement and evaluate:
- Constructed wetlands for natural wastewater treatment
- Rainwater harvesting systems and green roofs
- Atmospheric water harvesting technologies inspired by natural condensation processes
Alongside technical pilots, the project will foster community engagement, capacity building and policy innovation. Key actions include establishing the WATER CoP transnational community, developing a Water‑House Label for water‑efficient tourism facilities, and co‑designing a Water‑Wise Island‑Hopping Tour. Each island will also host a “Water House” to raise awareness among residents, visitors and tourism businesses.
By combining traditional water culture, ecosystem‑based approaches and community‑driven innovation, WATERISE aims to support Mediterranean islands in adapting to climate change while enhancing the sustainability of their tourism sector.
Project partners
- Comune di Pantelleria (Lead Partner, Italy)
- Border Towns & Islands Network (BTIN, Italy)
- Comune di Lampedusa e Linosa (Italy)
- Consell Insular de Menorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)
- Ville d’Île Rousse (Corsica, France)
- Regjun Lvant (Malta)
- Municipality of Nicosia District / Pachyammos–Tylliria area (Cyprus)
- Center for Social Innovation (Cyprus)
- Università degli Studi di Palermo (Italy)
