This pilot regards the redesign and reconstruction of wetlands or natural flood expansion areas in the upper Lys river Basin.

Nearby Matringhem, the focus lies with flood risks prevention, biodiversity enhancement and recreational use. The pilot will be part of the design of a comprehensive new river valley restauration plan on the same upper Lys basin area among two other connected tributaries. This plan will test mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for river valleys on a catchment scale. 

At the Therouanne location emphasis will be on improved water retention, high value ecosystem restoration and recreation. The pilot will be part of the design of a comprehensive new river valley restauration plan on the same upper Lys basin area among two other connected tributaries. This plan will test mainstreaming NbS for river valleys on a catchment scale. 

The pilots will act as a living laboratory for implementing the different learning and capacity building programs developed by transnational partners (France-Belgium), 20 technicians, 20 politicians, about 30 members of the public and 30 high school students will be targeted. They will act as facilitators for the implementation of the different training modules developed in these pilots. The primary aim is establishing standardized approaches for NbS, plan ahead for the new decades of restauration works and a proven learning capacity building program that supports the dissemination of those approaches.