EcoDaLLi took part in the panel session “Innovative Governance for Water Resilience – Focus on Economic Aspects” within the WATERUN & Water Governance 2027 Synergy Group at the afternoon session of the 4th European Forum on the Regulation of Water Services (EFRWS 2025) in Brussels on 4 December 2025.

Innovative Governance for Water Resilience

The afternoon of EFRWS25 was dedicated to EU-funded innovation on water governance and resilience. It started with WATERUN, which presented the research findings of the Policy Brief on the policy and regulatory framework for Urban Water Runoff. It was followed by a session of the WaterGovernance 2027 Synergy Group of the Horizon Europe projects InnWater, GOVAQUA and RETOUCH NEXUS, to explore how economic instruments and governance innovations can support the implementation of the EU Water Resilience Strategy, bringing together regulators, policymakers, NGOs and stakeholders.

Leveraging Economics for Water Resilience 

For setting the scene the EU Water Resilience Strategy was introduced, pointing out that water-related inequalities can harm economic, social, and territorial cohesion within the EU, underlining the need for increased investment in sustainable water management and innovation. After that the the three Horizon Europe projects – InnWater, GOVAQUA and RETOUCH NEXUS – provided the key messages of the  actionable and complementary solutions to strengthen the economic aspects of water management, which their projects have developed.

Panel discussuion: sharing the perspective of the Danube and Black Sea Lighthouse

A moderated panel discussion, in which EcoDaLLi’s coordinator Verena Höhn participated, further reflected on how participatory and cross‑sector governance approaches can improve the economic sustainability of water systems and help translate EU policy objectives into effective, investment‑ready solutions at regional and local levels. EcoDaLLi contributed perspectives from the Danube River Basin Lighthouse, highlighting the added value of participatory and ecosystem-based governance models for fostering resilient water management solutions and the importance of coordinating decision‑making across basin, national and local level, strengthening the role of Living Labs as spaces for co‑creation, and linking restoration measures with economic benefits.

Access the recording of the complete session here!