Welcome to our first newsletter! Drop by Drop is the biannual newsletter from the RAINS project, featuring news and updates from the project and its partners.
Each issue will provide insights into what RAINS has been up to, and share information and resources as part of our work to improve water and nutrient resource management in agriculture by demonstrating sustainable and efficient irrigation and fertigation solutions in the Mediterranean.
What is the RAINS project?
RAINS is a €4.8 million Horizon Europe project (2024–2028) that brings together 17 partners from 6 countries to develop practical solutions to water scarcity and extreme weather conditions in EU agriculture. By trialling improved water management, smart farming tools, and innovative biofertilisers on demo farms in Greece and Spain, RAINS aims to increase water efficiency, support farmers, and accelerate transition to sustainable irrigation systems.
Since its kick-off meeting in Valencia and General Assembly in Madrid, RAINS partners have been aligning scientific work, on-farm activities and stakeholder engagement to drive more sustainable water and nutrient management in agriculture.
Both in Greece and Spain, RAINS partners are working closely with local farmers and authorities to test nature-based and circular water solutions that can help cope with drought and protect soils.
Check out our video, where we explain in brief what the project is about and how we take action to improve water and nutrient resource management in the Mediterranean agricultural sector.
Recent deliverables
RAINS has published its first public deliverables, including an overview of the project’s approach to developing innovative, stakeholder-driven irrigation and nutrient management technologies. This document presents the preliminary outcomes of a co-creation process across the three pilot regions in Spain and Greece. The findings highlight a shared demand for modular, interoperable, and low-maintenance solutions that align with existing systems, comply with regulations, and provide real-time decision support.
RAINS brings together a strong and complementary consortium of 17 partners from 6 countries.
SAV, the coordinator of the RAINS project, is a leading environmental services company active in waste management, water treatment, and circular bioprocess development, based in Valencia, Spain. With extensive experience coordinating EU projects, SAV brings strong innovation and management expertise to RAINS.
Within the project, in addition to coordinating the project, SAV is also leading efforts to demonstrate the potential of bio-based fertilisers derived from blood and microalgae through enzymatic hydrolysis into protein hydrolysates, while also hosting one of the project’s demo sites in Spain.
Past events
Over the past year, we have shared our project’s advances across several events – from regional workshops to EU-wide conferences. Through these exchanges, our partners have presented RAINS’s research, debated ideas with peers, and strengthened connections within the European innovation community.
RAINS partners have actively showcased their work at prominent events, reinforcing the project’s impact and fostering stakeholder collaboration. ELGO-DIMITRA presented at the FORWARD GREEN EXPO in Thessaloniki, emphasising climate-resilient irrigation strategies and regional cooperation. At the MARA-MEDITERRA final conference in Cairo, ELGO-DIMITRA highlighted synergies in sustainable Mediterranean water management. Leiden University shared research on nutrient environmental impacts at the International Conference of Industrial Ecology. Several partners engaged in a seminar on smart irrigation and organic-mineral fertilisation at Riego Inteligente y Fertilización Órgano-mineral late September. ELGO-DIMITRA/SWRI highlighted collaborative priorities with the ILYS project on sludge and water resource management. SAV represented RAINS at Water Innovation Europe 2025, while CIAGRO-UMH contributed knowledge at the XXVIII Jornadas Agrícolas Guardamar. These engagements demonstrate RAINS’ broad front of scientific, technical, and practical outreach across Europe and the Mediterranean.
Learn more about the key concepts and terms that define the RAINS project!
Biobased Nets
Biobased nets are eco-friendly, biodegradable mesh-like structures made from natural or bio-derived materials. They’re designed to be buried underground to improve soil structure and prevent the erosion of soil by floods, and desertification due to water scarcity and maintaining plant growth thanks to higher water retention (>2 L/m2), growing support for roots, nutritive material for soil enrichment after crop ends, and full biodegradation after a couple of years.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EREA. Neither the European Union nor EREA can be held responsible for them.
