Why trust is the missing link for Alternative Water Resources

Across Europe, water scarcity is becoming harder to ignore. Longer dry periods, growing demand, pressure on groundwater and the impacts of climate change are forcing regions to rethink how they secure and manage water.

Alternative water resources, such as reclaimed water, rainwater harvesting, desalination and aquifer recharge, can play an important role in this transition. They can help reduce pressure on conventional sources and support more resilient water systems. But their implementation is not simply a matter of having the right technology.

For many communities, the question is not only can this water be used? but also can it be trusted?

Trust is one of the most important conditions for the uptake of alternative water resources. People need to understand how these solutions work, what risks are being managed, who is responsible for decisions and how local needs and concerns are being taken into account. Without this, even technically sound solutions can face resistance or remain stuck at pilot stage.

Building trust requires more than communication at the end of a project. It needs to be part of the process from the beginning. Stakeholders must be involved early, not only to receive information but to shape priorities, discuss trade-offs and explore different futures together. Demonstration sites, political dialogue, modelling tools and participatory methods can all help make alternative water resources more tangible and easier to discuss.

This is the focus of the upcoming AWR4Climate joint webinar, "Building trust in Alternative Water Resources", taking place online on 23 June 2026.

The webinar brings together the three Horizon Europe sister projects AWARD, RECREATE and MARCLAIMED, which are working in different European territories to better understand how alternative water resources can support climate-resilient water management.

Rather than focusing only on barriers, the session will look at practical ways to build confidence in these solutions. MARCLAIMED will share lessons from demonstration cases, AWARD will explore the role of governance and political dialogue and RECREATE will present how serious games can support stakeholder engagement by helping participants explore future water choices together.

By connecting these different experiences, the webinar will open a wider discussion on how alternative water resources can move from promising technical options to trusted parts of long-term water planning.

Further details, including the programme, speakers and registration link, here.

Publishing date: 19 May 2026