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Several EU initiatives support more or less indirectly the use of nature-based solutions to enhance Europe’s vulnerability to water stress and risk of droughts. The multifunctional role of forests in regulating water flows in rural and urban catchments and in increasing resilience to climate change is recognized by the EU Forestry Strategy (to be updated in 2021). Wetlands and forests for instance form an important part of the EU Strategy on Green Infrastructure, which aims to build a coherent and resilient network of ecological corridors across Europe. The recent Biodiversity Strategy 2030 sets out to legally protect a minimum of 30% of the EU land area, and to promote widespread restoration. The Strategy emphasises in particular the importance of restoring environmental flows in rivers, notably through a review of abstraction permits. Further, the still elusive, yet expectable co-benefits of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions pursued in the mentioned policies represent a node for economic activities like tourism, recreation, sustainable agriculture and urban water services. This is especially relevant as an opportunity to address water abstraction, resulting in multiple pressures on freshwater ecosystems.

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