Ongoing
Water Sensitive City
News
About the Partnership
Our aim is to help European cities become more resilient, more sustainable, and more climate-adapted − by putting water at the very heart of urban development.
Launched in November 2024, the Urban Agenda for the EU Water Sensitive City (WSC) Partnership was established in a context in which cities of all sizes face increasing water-related challenges (excess, scarcity, competing demands).
In response, the WSC Partnership envisions a future where European cities become more resilient, sustainable, and climate-adapted by placing water sensitive design at the heart of urban policies.
This transformation will be driven by the principles of a Water Sensitive City, a city in which urban water management not only addresses functional needs but also enhances the overall urban environment and climate adaptation.
The Partnership is composed of 23 partners representing national and regional authorities, urban authorities, European umbrella organisations, other stakeholders, and the European Commission.
Thematic Focus
The Orientation Paper narrowed down the thematic focus of the Partnership to four thematic areas: Integrated Water Management & Resilience, Water-Sensitive Urban Planning and Investments, Smart Water Operation & Digital Innovation, Governance, Awareness, Financing & Capacity building. Based on these, the WSC Action Plan covers seven Actions, designed through a collaborative process, followed by the integration of feedback from public consultation.
The Water Sensitive City Action Plan comprises seven Actions aimed at transforming urban water management towards restoring the natural water cycle and reducing runoff, while improving the quality of the urban environment, resilience to climate change and putting water efficiency first. It is composed of seven complementary Actions and is aimed at supporting European cities become more resilient, more sustainable, and more climate-adapted − by effectively integrating the water dimension into urban development.
Action 1. Indicators for water sensitivity
This Action aims to identify and propose indicators for measuring and understanding the water
sensitivity performance by European cities.
Action 2. Enabling regulations
This Action aims to identify and propose regulatory and policy changes, including regulation on public
funding that enable the implementation of water-sensitive urban planning and investments across
European cities.
Action 3. Urban planning framework
This Action supports cities in developing Water-Sensitive City Plans (WSCPs), an integrated planning
tool designed to mitigate water-related risks, enhance urban resilience, and generate socio-economic
and environmental co-benefits through decentralised water management and nature-based solutions.
Action 4. Innovative financing
This Action aims to catalyse investment in Water Sensitive Urban Design by identifying and promoting
innovative and replicable financing models that complement existing funding sources. It will map
mechanisms such as Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), positive water or nature credits, PublicPrivate and Public-Private-Community Partnerships, blended finance and other emerging instruments,
and translate them into practical guidance for cities.
Action 5. Stepwise water digitalisation standard
This Action aims to develop a segmented digitalisation standard (A1 to C2 levels) for urban water
systems, covering key components such as treatment, distribution and stormwater management. The
framework will help municipalities assess their compliance with EU water legislation, understand their
digital maturity level and identify appropriate technological solutions linked to performance indicators.
Action 6. Knowledge and capacity building
This Action aims to raise awareness and share knowledge on the concept of Water Sensitive Cities
(WSC) and work of the WSC Partnership, which includes the identification and dissemination of good
practices, and the delivery of capacity building materials and activities. This Action functions as the
horizontal backbone of the Plan, focusing on strengthening knowledge dissemination, institutional
capacity and peer learning within the Partnership and beyond.
Action 7. Community Engagement
This Action explores the ways in which citizens can contribute to the concept of a water sensitive city,
with particular focus on how data-driven citizen science can activate communities and stakeholders to
change their behaviour.
This Action aims to identify and propose indicators for measuring and understanding the water
sensitivity performance by European cities.
This Action aims to identify and propose regulatory and policy changes, including regulation on public
funding that enable the implementation of water-sensitive urban planning and investments across
European cities.
This Action supports cities in developing Water-Sensitive City Plans (WSCPs), an integrated planning
tool designed to mitigate water-related risks, enhance urban resilience, and generate socio-economic
and environmental co-benefits through decentralised water management and nature-based solutions.
This Action aims to catalyse investment in Water Sensitive Urban Design by identifying and promoting
innovative and replicable financing models that complement existing funding sources. It will map
mechanisms such as Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), positive water or nature credits, PublicPrivate and Public-Private-Community Partnerships, blended finance and other emerging instruments,
and translate them into practical guidance for cities.
This Action aims to develop a segmented digitalisation standard (A1 to C2 levels) for urban water
systems, covering key components such as treatment, distribution and stormwater management. The
framework will help municipalities assess their compliance with EU water legislation, understand their
digital maturity level and identify appropriate technological solutions linked to performance indicators.
This Action aims to raise awareness and share knowledge on the concept of Water Sensitive Cities
(WSC) and work of the WSC Partnership, which includes the identification and dissemination of good
practices, and the delivery of capacity building materials and activities. This Action functions as the
horizontal backbone of the Plan, focusing on strengthening knowledge dissemination, institutional
capacity and peer learning within the Partnership and beyond.
This Action explores the ways in which citizens can contribute to the concept of a water sensitive city,
with particular focus on how data-driven citizen science can activate communities and stakeholders to
change their behaviour.
Members
By clicking on the symbol 
, in the top left corner, you will be able to see the different layers of this map.
National authorities
- Ministry of Regional Development (CZ)
- Ministry of Climate (EE)
Regions
- Intermunicipal Community of Coimbra Region (PT)
Cities (Urban Authorities)
- Municipality of The Hague (NL)
- Municipality of Turin (IT)
- Municipality of Enschede (NL)
- Elche City Council (ES)
- Municipality of Roman (RO) [Not active]
- Municipality of Halandri (EL)
- Municipality of Viimsi (EE)
- Kalocsa City Municipality (HU)
European/ national city umbrella organisation
- Council of European Municipalities and Regions - CEMR
- Resilient Cities Network
Other stakeholders
- Cetaqua, Centro Tecnológico del Agua (ES)
- Águas e Energia do Porto (PT)
- Acondicionamiento Tarrasense Associación - LEITAT (ES)
- Major Development Agency Thessaloniki - Local Government Organization
(EL) - Commonspace Co-op (EL)
European institutions
- European Commission Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO)
- European Commission Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER)
- European Commission Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV)
- European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC)
- Task Force for Reform and Investment (SG REFORM)
Documents
EUI - Call for City-to-City Exchanges
The call for City-to-City exchanges is open on a continous basis.
Check the details and apply to benefit of other city experiences to tackle your sustainable urban development challenges.