19/03/2026.– Natural Mineral Waters Europe (NMWE) is launching Sources for Nature, a two‑year project to test, in real-world conditions, the IUCN Recommendations for Biodiversity in the natural mineral and spring water sector. The project brings together a group of volunteer companies and associations from across Europe to apply a common biodiversity framework at source level, strengthen the protection and restoration of ecosystems around their catchments and share practical learning.
Published in May 2025 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in cooperation with NMWE and associated experts, the Recommendations provide a practical framework for structured biodiversity action in and around natural mineral water catchments. They are designed to help companies preserve and restore habitats, support species, and safeguard healthy water cycles across different site contexts and levels of experience, while maintaining methodological consistency.
At their core, the Recommendations follow a four‑step approach. Companies first establish a biodiversity baseline by identifying key features, pressures and dependencies in the catchment area, then define clear goals and targets, select relevant indicators to track progress, and finally implement actions, monitor outcomes and adapt over time. Through Sources for Nature, participating sites will pilot this framework over the 2026–2028 period and provide feedback to strengthen future guidance for the sector.
“The publication of the IUCN Recommendations was a major milestone for our sector; this pilot is about putting them into practice,” said Adam Gono, Deputy Secretary General of NMWE. “By testing the framework across diverse hydrological, ecological and business contexts, we want to build a robust business case for biodiversity and support more systemic nature protection in natural mineral water catchments.”
The pilot is designed as a learning‑oriented process in the service of better outcomes for biodiversity. Participating companies and associations will document their experiences, including practical challenges, solutions and enabling factors encountered when implementing biodiversity actions at site level, from restoring habitats and enhancing ecological connectivity to improving monitoring of species and ecosystem health. This evidence will help identify potential gaps in the current framework, inform future revisions of the Recommendations and encourage wider uptake of effective biodiversity practices across the sector.
Visit the Sources4Nature website: https://sources4nature.eu/