Identity Card
Within the OPTAIN project, Natural Small Water Retention Measures (NSWRM) were analysed using a harmonised classification framework to ensure consistency across case studies and modelling activities. This structured typology was essential for comparing results between biogeographical regions and for integrating measures into the multi-objective optimisation process.
Rather than presenting an exhaustive catalogue, the project grouped NSWRM according to their functional characteristics and spatial configuration within the catchment system. This approach reflects how measures were parameterised in the modelling environment and how their impacts were evaluated at both field and catchment scales.
Three main categories were distinguished: Land Management Measures, Structural Linear Measures, and Structural Areal Measures. These categories form the analytical backbone of OPTAIN’s assessment framework and provide the basis for exploring the performance of different NSWRM portfolios under current and future climate conditions.
The following sections present each category in more detail, highlighting representative measures and their role within the modelling and optimisation analyses conducted in the project.