About the Project
Restoration of FLOod-degraded ecosystems With Synergistic, tAilored bio-/nature-based remediation oF pollutant mixturEs
FLOWSAFE delivers a unified yet locally tailored strategy harnessing biotechnology integrated into nature-based solutions to remediate flood-affected surface waters and connected ecosystems — restoring and enhancing the resilience of vulnerable EU ecosystems.
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Biotechnology strategies
WIZJA
Phytoremediation
Native macrophytes absorb and break down pollutants directly in water and sediment, enhanced by rhizospheric microbial action.
Biostimulation
Precision nutrient strategies — guided by molecular profiling — activate native microbial pathways to degrade contaminants.
Bioaugmentation
Spatially structured native microbial consortia engineered via iACME and LUME platforms for synergistic pollutant removal.
Biomaterials
Aerogels, biochar, and microencapsulation act as active barriers — trapping pollutants and supporting staged microbial release.
WIZJA
Kaczawa River sub-basin
Lower Silesia · Continental
UNESCO Global Geopark with long mining legacy. Severely affected by storm Boris floods (2024, €350M+ damage). Metals, microplastics, and pesticides mobilised across agricultural land.
Albufera Natural Park
Valencia region · Mediterranean
Ramsar-listed wetland hit by catastrophic flash floods in October 2024 (228 fatalities, 200k+ affected). Legacy pressures from agriculture and urbanisation, now mobilising complex pollutant mixtures.
Target pollutant families
Meža River sub-basin
Carinthia region · Alpine
300+ years of mining legacy. Exceptional floods in August 2023 mobilised contaminated sediments into Drava River — a Natura 2000 protected site with elevated Pb, Cd, As, Zn, Mo
Metal(oid)s
Pb, As, Zn, Cd, Li, Ni
Microplastics
PE, PP, PS particles
Pharmaceuticals
antibiotics,
anti-inflammatories
Metal(oid)s
insecticides, fungicides
Persistent organics
PFAS, PAHs
Excess nutrients
N, P, organic matter
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author or authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Foundation for the Development of the Education System. Neither the European Union nor the entity providing the grant can be held responsible for them.​​