The Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) became a partner of the EU MERLIN project. As part of the Horizon 2020 program, the European Union has allocated EUR 21 million for finding a solution to assure the restoration of freshwater ecosystems in Europe by 2025.

The main goal of the MERLIN project is to find new and widely applicable solutions to restore degraded freshwater ecosystems to their natural functions, including improving their water retention and carbon dioxide storage.

EUR 10 million will be allocated to 17 areas, from Finland to Israel, where streams, rivers, as well as swamps and wetlands are already being restored to a near-natural state.

The Merlin project leader is the University of Duisburg Essen. The project manager on the part of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences is Prof. Eng. Tomasz Okruszko from the Department of Hydrology, Meteorology and Water Management of the Institute of Environmental Engineering, implementation partner and the Kampinos National Park.