CLEAR-WATER

CLEAR-WATER will deliver a coherent, pan-European aquatic litter monitoring and assessment framework providing harmonised, validated, cost-effective approaches and strategies, enabling Europe to transition from fragmented efforts to coordinated, science-based action. In doing so, CLEAR-WATER directly supports the EU to deliver on the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the MSFD, and the WFD, while contributing to the European Green Deal objective of healthier oceans, seas, and waters. The health of Europe’s lakes, rivers, and seas is increasingly threatened by litter pollution that flows across borders, undermining resilience and prosperity. Despite existing efforts to protect aquatic ecosystems, progress remains slow due to inconsistent methodologies, data gaps, weak policy coherence and uptake. CLEAR-WATER responds to this challenge by starting from the “lowest common denominator” and using an incremental “levelling up” approach to harmonise methods and advance data comparability to enable robust and comprehensive assessments that guide targeted interventions. It will make effective use of already available data and combine diverse data sources (satellite, drones, citizen science) with modelling to expand data integration across the source-to-sea continuum. Building on previous initiatives it will develop an analytical pipeline for microplastics, and validated protocols for litter monitoring, tested across environmental compartments and litter sizes. It will engage key actors across Europe to address methodological and geographical discrepancies, delivering co-designed cross-scale roadmaps to align governance across policies. The consortium brings together world leading experts, institutions, and citizen networks to deliver fit-for-purpose litter monitoring solutions that are implementable, transferable, and policy-ready. By bridging science, governance, and society, CLEAR-WATER accelerates Europe’s path to zero pollution by 2050.