We are very pleased to announce a new agreement between two WaterLANDS partners, Landscape Finance Lab and Provincie Groningen to collaborate on developing financing mechanisms for pilot projects within the WaterLANDS Action Site, Ems Dollard estuary. The memorandum of understanding signed earlier this month marks a partnership that will continue beyond the WaterLANDS project and support ongoing restoration efforts under the Ems-Dollard 2050 (ED2050) programme.

The Ems-Dollard estuary located on the Dutch-German border where the river Ems meets the Wadden Sea, is renowned for its sandflats, mudflats and coastal salt marshes. It is an area heavily influenced by human activities, where salt marshes were reclaimed by building dikes and coastal peatlands were drained for agricultural use, resulting in soil subsidence and ecological degradation.

ED2050 brings together government bodies from both the Netherlands and Germany, environmental organizations, research partners, and local industry. Through this partnership, Landscape Finance Lab in collaboration with Blueconomy will explore blended finance structures, business models, and investment frameworks that can unlock the funding this landscape needs. This builds upon the knowledge, approaches, and restoration activities that have already been developed through WaterLANDS to date, creating a legacy of impact.

The programme aims to future‑proof the Ems‑Dollard coastal zone by raising low‑lying agricultural land with clean dredged sediment, strengthening the Dollard dike using locally matured clay, and creating more space for natural estuarine development with a green‑blue buffer zone for nearby villages.

Together, these measures combat land subsidence, cut CO₂ emissions, aid sustainable flood management, improve habitats for biodiversity, and use local materials to build a stronger, greener landscape. The work is closely tied to enhancing quality of life for local communities, including better connections between villages, agricultural viability, and new recreational opportunities that foster long‑term regional resilience.