Irene de Bustamante during the award ceremony at CIAS.

Irene de Bustamante, Director of IMDEA Water Institute, received the 16th Custodio and Llamas AIH-GE Award for Professional Excellence in Hydrogeology and Its Applications in Spain on 2 July 2026. The award was granted by the Spanish Gruop of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (AIH-GE) in 2025.

The award ceremony took place during the Congreso Ibérico de las Aguas Subterráneas (CIAS), held in Barcelona, bringing together professionals, researchers and representatives of institutions involved in groundwater research and management.

The award recognizes professionals whose careers have contributed significantly to the advancement of hydrogeology in Spain and to the application of hydrogeological knowledge for the sustainable management of water resources. In awarding the prize ex aequo to Irene de Bustamante and Professor Marisol Manzano of the Technical University of Cartagena, the jury highlighted De Bustamante’s scientific and teaching achievements, as well as her contributions to groundwater research and the training of future generations of specialists.

This recognition is further complemented by another recent milestone for the institute. Lucila Candela Lledó, associated researcher at IMDEA Water Institute and professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), has been awarded the same distinction in 2026: the 17th AIH-GE Custodio and Llamas Award for Professional Excellence in Hydrogeology and Its Applications in Spain. The award recognizes her outstanding contributions to the study of groundwater resources, aquifer contamination, and her extensive work in research, teaching, and scientific leadership. The award ceremony will take place during the next edition of the Iberian Congress on Groundwater, scheduled for 2027.