The European Commission is funding the Collaborative project ‘PREPARED Enabling Change’ (PREPARED) within the context of the Seventh Framework Programme 'Environment'. The PREPARED project originates from the WSSTP (Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform - www.WssTP.eu) thematic working group Sustainable Water Management in Urban areas.

Over a period of five years, PREPARED will work with a number of urban utilities in Europe and worldwide to develop advanced strategies to meet anticipated challenges in the water supply and sanitation sectors brought about by climate change. The project will provide a framework that links comprehensive research with development programmes in these utilities. The PREPARED vision will provide significant synergistic opportunities that the utilities can utilise to improve their preparedness for the ongoing changes related to the provision of water supply and sanitation.

The outcomes of the project will be used as input for the planning and rehabilitation programmes of the participating cities. Following on from that, the experience gained by the utilities, will be shared with other actors of the water sector in Europe.

The ultimate objective is environmental-concern based rehabilitation and investment programmes for water supply and sanitation systems (including storm water). The cities and utilities involved will be prepared and resilient to the impacts of climate change in the short and in the long-term.

The project implementation started in February 2010 and it is expected to end in January 2014, under E.U. contract number 244232.