Coimbra Leads European Water Sensitive Territories Network
The seven-partner network, approved from 90 applications, will run through April 2029 under the URBACT IV programme.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in City Hall
The Coimbra Metropolitan Region will coordinate the Water Sensitive Territories network, one of 25 networks approved from 90 applications. The partnership brings together seven European territories to address water management and climate adaptation from November 2026 through April 2029.
Why it matters
The network aims to help local authorities move from water management strategies to concrete actions tailored to each territory. It builds on prior work the Coimbra region carried out within the Water Sensitive Cities thematic partnership of the Urban Agenda for the European Union.
The URBACT IV selection approved 25 networks from a pool of 90 applications, and this partnership includes seven European territories. The specific outcomes of the pilot interventions and integrated action plans remain undetermined at this stage.
The players
Coimbra Metropolitan Region
A Portuguese region of 19 municipalities that serves as lead coordinator of the network, drawing on its earlier work within the Water Sensitive Cities partnership.
URBACT IV
A European Union programme that funds transnational city cooperation networks and under which this partnership operates.
The details
Partners will work through transnational cooperation, sharing of good practices and peer learning, with local entities and communities included in the network's work. Planned activities include identifying solutions, piloting interventions and developing integrated action plans to strengthen intermunicipal cooperation on extreme events.
Timeline
November 2026: Water Sensitive Territories network begins.
April 2029: Water Sensitive Territories network scheduled to end.
Big Picture
The network extends the Coimbra region's earlier work in the Water Sensitive Cities thematic partnership of the Urban Agenda for the European Union into a multi-country effort. It aims to move local authorities from strategy toward territory-specific actions on water management.
Local governments across Europe and beyond may draw on the network's shared approaches to water management and extreme-event coordination. Residents in participating territories could see pilot interventions and integrated action plans developed through the partnership.
The takeaway
Coordinated cooperation between neighboring municipalities can help territories prepare for water-related extremes that cross local boundaries. Local leaders facing similar pressures may find the network's shared methods useful for their own planning.
Further reading
Explore more City Hall coverage on how local governments are approaching water and climate challenges.
Source note: This article includes information reported by PlusNews.
