SGDs

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of people around the world. In 2015, all UN Member States adopted 17 Goals as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developmentt, which sets out a plan to achieve the Goals in 15 years.

IMDEA Water contributes to achieving the following Sustainable Development Goals:

SDG IMDEA Water contribution Research groups involved
  • Apply microbial electrochemistry in purification and desalination to provide water to ensure sanitation and hygiene to populations in resource-poor countries
  • Study of the transfer of contaminants in soils to the food chain through crop consumption. Health risk assessment
  • Assess the risk of contaminants that may have direct implications for human health
  • Study the microbiological contamination of water to avoid the risk to health
  • The use of membrane technology in processes such as wastewater treatment and desalination contributes to improving water quality by reducing pollution and improving the water supply
  • Development of nature-based solutions for the treatment and reuse of wastewater in small towns with the aim of reducing discharges and promoting the efficient use of water resources
  • The purification of wastewater from small towns by microbial electrochemical systems is a sustainable process, with low initial investment and maintenance costs, which can be implemented in municipalities that cannot afford conventional treatments
  • Assessment of the presence of chemical and biological pollutants and their risks to human health and biodiversity
  • Integrated management of water resources as well as the provision of water and sanitation services.
  • We help the industry to be more efficient by treating its waste more effectively or reducing water consumption in the productive sector by providing tools to reuse it.
  • Development of new methods and models capable of predicting the environmental risk of contamination caused by different industrial processes
  • Assessment of investment needs for water infrastructures in the European Union
  • Decentralized intelligent wastewater treatment, without energy costs, that reuses water and contributes to the beautification of cities
  • Adaptation and improvement of non-conventional treatment technologies based on natural attenuation processes (e.g. land application systems).
  • Make proper use and reuse of water to avoid using or releasing it contaminated (from a chemical and microbiological point of view)

  • Development of technologies (AI, biosensors) that make wastewater treatment plants and other industries more efficient and sustainable, thus reducing energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.
  • Development of governance frameworks, socio-hydrological modelling tools and economic assessments aimed at the design and implementation of climate change adaptation strategies in the face of water scarcity. Support for decision-making in contexts of climate uncertainty, integrating scientific knowledge, public policies and social participation to strengthen the resilience of water systems and territories.
  • Removal of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins from aquatic ecosystems and drinking water treatment plants.
  • Assessment of the impact of toxic cyanobacterial blooms on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
  • Evaluation of the origin and causes of the production of odor-producing compounds in aquatic ecosystems.
  • Impact of the microbiome of wetlands in semi-arid regions on the health of aquatic ecosystems, terrestrial fauna and people.
  • Evaluation of the natural attenuation capacity of soils in the face of agricultural and urban pollution in order to prevent the spread of chemical pollution and the spread of pathogens and, thus, reduce the degradation of natural habitats
  • Analysis, from the socioeconomic point of view, of the causal relationships between biological diversity and the provision of ecosystem services in aquatic ecosystems (freshwater, coasts, seas) and their connection with terrestrial ecosystems