International partners in the project RESources in Coastal groundwater Under hydroclimatic Extremes (RESCUE), funded by Water 4 All and co-funded by the European Union, have held the mid-term meeting in Trieste, Italy, providing an important opportunity for discussion to advance the search for innovative and sustainable solutions on water resource management. The three-day meeting took place at the University of Trieste (UNITS), which coordinates the Project, from 8 – 10 September 2025, during which partners National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics – OGS, Ruden AS and the University of Malta (UM) were present.
The meeting included reviews of the technical, social, economical and legal aspects of RESCUE by the various partners, including OGS, which is responsible for communication and dissemination. The RESCUE team was also delighted to welcome guest speakers Corinna Guerra, Researcher at the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage, Ca’Foscari University of Venice, and Ariel T. Thomas, Marie Curie European Research Officer and geophysicist at the University of Malta, and leading activities in the project OFF-SOURCE • COST Action CA21112 Offshore freshened groundwater: An unconventional water resource in coastal regions?
The mid-term gathering also set the scene for upcoming activities in the second half of the Project, including a forthcoming five-part podcast series, which is beginning production now. Several partners were interviewed, providing insights from the unique perspectives reflected in the diversity of backgrounds within the Consortium.
The RESCUE project aims to build knowledge on offshore and deep onshore low salinity aquifers in European coastal areas, to evaluate novel freshwater resources, and help secure a steady supply of water to both population and industry, in times of hydroclimatic extremes.
RESCUE’s objective is to help establish the foundations for the evaluation of new resources for local and regional policy makers, while the global applicability of the outputs will allow upscaling to Europe-wide or other large areas worldwide, where water is needed.
The 36-month long Project, which also includes the University of Derby (UoD) as a partner, began in March 2024 and ends in February 2027.
