TURQUOISE

TURQUOISE is an interdisciplinary research project on the potential of blue-green strategies for climate adaptation. Persistent droughts between 2017 and 2021 have made it clear that Flanders is insufficiently prepared for water scarcity and droughts. The TURQUOISE project aims at a proactive approach to increase water availability.

In order to plan, implement and scale up blue-green solutions properly, more knowledge is needed about the effectiveness (or side-effects) of measures on both a local and a larger scale, as well as about how much is needed to reduce the drought risk to an acceptable level.

Concretely, TURQUOISE wants to develop a decision support framework and test it in practice to facilitate planning and increase the implementation rate of blue-green adaptation strategies. TURQUOISE focuses on four blue-green solutions in rural areas:

  1. restoration of (former) wetland depressions
  2. controlled hydraulic (drainage) systems
  3. infiltration pools in fields
  4. infiltration reservoirs with active river supply for irrigation and groundwater recharge

TURQUOISE started in October 2021, runs for 4 years and receives financial support from FWO (SBO project).