Bringing INnovation to onGOing water management – A better future under climate change (BINGO)

The project BINGO provides demand-driven solutions for a number of specific climate-related challenges, in particular for highly vulnerable water resources of strategic importance. Water managers and other stakeholders are provided with information on specific climate scenarios at the space/time resolution fitting their needs, enabling them to act at various geographical levels (local, regional and European). BINGO aims at reducing the uncertainty of climate predictions and developing response strategies to help society manage that uncertainty. An innovative approach consists of enrolling end-users from the start, identifying specific vulnerabilities, needs and concerns about future climate.

BINGO is built around six areas across Europe (Portugal, Spain, Cyprus, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway), covering a representative range of climatic conditions as well as combinations of water systems and water pressures. They illustrate a variety of water cycles at local/regional scales in Europe over various timescales, as well as common problems, including floods and droughts; water quality pressured by combined sewer overflow (CSO), agriculture and competing demands for water (urban/tourism; agriculture/food security; hydropower).

To guarantee sound management strategies for future weather challenges, BINGO develops and validates solutions built by strong dynamic interaction of researchers with end-users and decision makers throughout the project. By creating such knowledge alliances, water managers and other stakeholders can share awareness of climate challenges, thus increasing the possibilities of collaboration in order to manage and better cope with future climate challenges. The key outcomes of BINGO include:

• Improved and downscaled climate predictions and projections of climate variables;
• Integrated analysis of the impacts of climate change scenarios on the water cycle;
• Improved dialogue between different actors, including decision makers;
• Increased public awareness of the effects of climate change on floods and droughts;
• More efficient management of water resources in Europe.