'The Alps are Europe's water towers, providing multiple ecosystem services such as water for human consumption, agriculture, industry, energy and maintaining tourism, recreation & quality of life not only for the residents but also for surrounding lowlands & big metropolitan areas. Alpine rivers are the 'blue backbones' of sustainable development, but only healthy rivers can provide such essential services: they are a vulnerable natural capital under pressure with the need of balancing protection & development. river governance is fragmented and diverging among and within countries: so far, knowledge transfer of good practices & policies has been weak. SPARE aims at exchanging, adapting and capitalizing strategic planning & river management experiences across different spatial & governance levels. Going beyond administrative borders, the requirements of a catchment wide perspective and trans-national cooperation can be considered. Therefore, SPARE will act in a transdisciplinary way combining socio-political, economic and ecological assets and integrating inputs from different stakeholders and beneficiaries. SPARE's main outputs: - a collection of river management challenges & best solutions - a set of governance tools - a pan-Alpine overview of priority rivers with high protecton need - guidances on innovative river protection & management processes across different spatial and administrative levels - an interactive platform of knowledge exchange.