Science that matters

Storage hydropower plants contribute to the energy transition, but also affect river ecosystems. Sustainable management should not only account for individual hydropeaking events, but also their cumulative effects.

New methods are making it possible to gain a more precise understanding of the role of organic molecules in the functioning of ecosystems. Researchers from Eawag and University of Zurich are therefore calling for a new “ecology of molecules”.

For a long time, Eawag's research focus was primarily on water quality. Questions relating to hydrology, bed load or flooding tend to be investigated at WSL or ETH. Eawag is now strengthening its expertise in this area. Today, the ETH Board appointed hydrologist Paola Passalacqua as joint professor at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering and at Eawag.

Last week, the ‘Blue Summit Switzerland’ water conference was held at Reichenau Castle. Themed ‘Switzerland's water reservoir also needs new solutions!’, more than 100 participants, including 20 national and cantonal politicians, attended.