Amazon and Microsoft announce water replenishment project with NABU in Germany

Amazon and Microsoft, today announced a water replenishment project in Hesse, Germany. The project, implemented by NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland), Germany's oldest and largest environmental NGO, along with regional partners and public authorities, will restore natural wetland conditions across 40 hectares in the Vogelsberg region, a critical water sourcing area that supplies a significant portion of Frankfurt's drinking water. NABU is implementing the project with funding from both Amazon and Microsoft. Supported by Amazon's contribution of over €2.9 million, the project is expected to return more than 750 million litres of water annually to the local groundwater supply once completed, helping replenish water resources for the City of Frankfurt and surrounding communities.

The project marks Amazon's third water replenishment initiative in Germany, following the urban leak detection programme in Frankfurt with Shayp and the wetland restoration in the Spessart Forest with EcoTree announced in May 2026. Together, Amazon's contributions to these three projects are expected to return more than 920 million litres of water annually to communities and ecosystems in the greater Frankfurt region once completed. The project reflects a growing recognition across the water sector that strengthening regional water resilience requires collective action — bringing together private enterprise, environmental organisations, landholders, and public authorities to address shared water challenges at a catchment level.
The project contributes to Amazon's goal to return more water to communities than it uses in its data centre direct operations by 2030.

“Efficient water use is part of how we operate, but that's a starting point, not the finish line. We want to actively contribute to improving the water systems locally that communities rely on every day. NABU knows what works when it comes to restoring natural landscapes, and we're proud to support them to do more of it,” said Michael Hanisch, Head of Technology at AWS Germany.

The Vogelsberg, the largest volcanic region in Central Europe, holds significant potential for groundwater recharge. The region's groundwater reserves are a primary source of drinking water for the City of Frankfurt and surrounding communities. As demand grows and climate patterns shift, restoring the landscape's natural capacity to recharge these reserves is increasingly important for the long-term resilience of the region's water supply. In parallel, as communities across the Frankfurt area increasingly prioritize sustainable water management, there is growing momentum to restore the natural landscape's capacity to retain and filter water — reversing the effects of historical extraction, artificial drainage, and intensive agricultural practices.

Working with approximately 10 local landholders, NABU will gradually acquire a total of 80 hectares of land across the "Alte Hasel" and "Eisenbachaue" project sites near Herbstein from 2026 onwards, with further acquisitions planned through the end of 2028. The project will restore wetland conditions across 40 hectares of land through proven nature-based approaches: removing artificial drainage systems, creating shallow water zones and depressions that slow water flow and increase infiltration, and establishing extensive grassland management to reduce nutrient inputs into streams. The work will be carried out in collaboration with the city of Herbstein and local farmers.

Ingo Ammermann, CEO of NABU said: “For more than 20 years, NABU has worked with communities in the Vogelsberg to restore natural water systems. This investment enables us to significantly expand our impact. The project will return hundreds of millions of litres of water to the ground each year — while creating habitats for species like the whinchat that are disappearing from Germany's lowlands.”

Christian Schätz, COO of Microsoft Germany said: “No single organisation can solve a region's water challenges alone. That's why projects like this matter — they bring together local expertise, environmental science, and resources from across the private sector to deliver measurable results for communities. When tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon invest together in water stewardship, it signals that this sector takes its responsibility seriously — and that collective action can make a real difference for the regions we all depend on.”

In addition to its primary contribution to groundwater recharge, the project is expected to create habitats for species that have declined significantly in the region, including whinchats, snipe, wood sandpipers, and gadwall. The region's cooler climate also makes it a potential refuge for species displaced by warming in surrounding lowlands — positive effects already demonstrated by comparable NABU projects in the area. Biodiversity impact will be measured through annual monitoring of mammals, birds, insects, amphibians, and reptiles between 2028 and 2038 — ensuring over a decade of evidence on the project's ecological outcomes.

Amazon has announced more than 70 water replenishment projects globally, expected to return more than 40 billion litres of water to communities and watersheds annually. From leak detection in urban areas to wetland restoration and irrigation efficiency, Amazon invests in solutions that help communities manage water resources sustainably.

Beyond water stewardship, Amazon is Europe's largest corporate purchaser of carbon-free energy, with more than 260 projects delivering over 10 gigawatts capacity across the region.