Department Environmental Social Sciences

Professor Bernhard Truffer of the Eawag Water Research Institute is among the "highly cited researchers 2023".

The Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences has elected five new members to the Swiss Young Academy, including Benjamin Hofmann, postdoctoral researcher in the Environmental Social Sciences Department at the Aquatic Research Institute Eawag.

While the use of pesticides in industrial countries is being questioned more and more critically, less is known about their consequences on human health and the environment in tropical countries. The interdisciplinary project “Pestrop” is now changing this and also shows where the necessary measures need to be taken.

The aquatic research institute Eawag has published its latest annual report and looks back on the year 2022. Water is at the heart of the most important environmental issues.

The hot summer made water supply security a political issue in 2022. Added to this were deficits in groundwater protection and "eternal" chemicals.

Where is there still untapped potential in the use of water bodies for energy generation and what are the associated risks for water systems?

A new “Theory of Change” shows which psychological factors influence the use of decentralised water treatment technologies and which measures can support their introduction.

How can the use of scientific knowledge be promoted in policy and practice to make plant protection more sustainable?

New technologies in the water sector can contribute to the flexible and sustainable development of urban water management and the sustainable utilisation of water as a resource. In a recent article in the journal Aqua & Gas, a team of researchers from the aquatic research institute Eawag shows what opportunities and risks are associated with this.

Professor Bernhard Truffer of the Eawag Water Research Institute is among the "highly cited researchers 2022".

Eawag symposium 2022: ESS members win both the price for the best poster and for the best talk!

25 years ago, urine-diverting toilets were no more than an idea, challenging the central paradigm of wastewater treatment plants. Since then, however, modular water technologies have become increasingly important. Using a new method, scientists at Eawag have mapped the dynamics of this transition.

As part of a new national research programme that aims to replace animal experiments in research, the National Science Foundation is supporting a project at Eawag. This opens up new possibilities for determining the toxicity of chemical substances based solely on tests with cultured cells and computer models. Animal experiments could thus be replaced.

The Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT appoints Karin Ingold as President of ProClim. With this and other new appointments to key positions, the Academy aims to strengthen the dialogue between science and politics.

Eawag researchers Sabine Hoffmann, Kai Udert and Lisa Deutsch are committed to a sanitation and nutrient transformation. They use an example to explain why a transformation is needed and why collaboration with politicians in particular is a challenge.

What is the best way to replace an old wastewater treatment plant? Which early warning system is most successful in protecting against flooding? Thanks to a method developed by Eawag, experts can analyse complex decision-making problems in a simple way.

The Wings Research Programme explores alternative, decentralised sewage systems and brings actors from the areas of research, politics, authorities, urban planning, and engineering and architectural firms together.  The objective is to promote innovations in the water sector and find ways to create a sustainable and flexible future for wastewater.

With around 200 pictures and texts, the new Water Timeline takes you through 200 years of the eventful history of Swiss water protection. It aims to show how shifts towards more sustainable management of natural resources can be shaped. 

Researchers Christoph Vorburger and Florian Altermatt talk about the importance and state of aquatic biodiversity in Switzerland and Eawag’s commitment to conserving natural biodiversity.

Researchers Juliane Hollender, Bernhard Truffer and Urs von Gunten from the aquatic research institute Eawag are among the "highly cited researchers 2021".

Whether a hydroelectric power plant is built, a pesticide is banned or a moor is placed under protection – a wide variety of political decisions have an impact on biodiversity. But does biodiversity play any role at all in such decisions? Researchers at Eawag and WSL have investigated this question and examined Swiss policy over the past 20 years.

Heatwaves and heavy local rainfall will increase with climate change, pushing traditional urban drainage systems to their limits. These problems can be addressed using the blue-green infrastructure approach. With careful planning, solutions of this kind can also increase biodiversity and improve the quality of urban life.

Although the consequences of climate change are becoming more and more visible and tangible, the transition to climate-friendly energy systems is only proceeding slowly. In a field experiment, Eawag and the University of Groningen (NL) investigated what kind of measures could be used to better promote innovations such as heat pumps.

Open Science is an important development in science - open access to the results of research. Eawag supports these and makes a growing part of its research data, including descriptions, images and even software, available publicly and free of charge on the Eawag platform ERIC or, in special cases, on discipline-specific, international databases. ERIC complements the long-standing platform DORA for scientific publications.

Congratulations to Fridolin Haag for winning the 2020 «Decision Analysis Society (DAS) Student Paper Award». DAS belongs to INFORMS, «The leading international association for Operations Research & Analytics professionals».

From flood protection and drinking water supply to the revitalisation of water bodies and hydropower production – water policy in Switzerland takes place in a wide variety of sectors. However, the exchange of information between politically divided players is often difficult. Science plays an important role as a bridge builder between the camps.

Congratulations to Jan Streit, Sabine Hoffmann & Christian Pohl for winning the award: Splash Talk Presentation Award with the title: The Emerging Profession of Integration Experts at the Science of Team Science (SciTS) Conference 2021.

The motto of today’s World Water Day is “Valuing water – What means water to you?”. With this motto, the United Nations wants to raise awareness of the vital importance of water and call on people to think about the value of water. In an interview, Eawag Director Janet Hering explains the importance of water for the aquatic research institute Eawag and also her personally.

The University of Bern has appointed the political scientist Manuel Fischer from the Eawag Department of Environmental Social Sciences (ESS) as titular professor.

At Eawag, the aquatic research institute, numerous scientists are conducting research into toilets. In short videos, seven of them explain what fascinates them about the topic and what exactly their research is all about.

Researchers Juliane Hollender, Ole Seehausen, Bernhard Truffer and Urs von Gunten from the aquatic research institute Eawag are among the "highly cited researchers 2020".

The new digital tool PlaNet makes it easier for municipalities to identify important project partners but also critical voices in complex environmental and infrastructure projects. In this way, it helps them to set up participatory processes in a professional manner.

There are solid psychological explanations for how consistently we follow the behaviour rules to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, such as the expectations we have towards ourselves and others. These are the findings of a representative survey, the results of which can now be used to optimise public information campaigns.

A new book edited by Manuel Fischer and Karin Ingold explores the latest applications of network analysis to the study and practice of water governance.

A new social-ecological approach allows complex relationships in ecosystem governance to be modelled as abstract but easily grasped networks.

126 Swiss researchers, including 6 from Eawag, want to draw the attention their Swiss compatriots to the scientific evidence showing the link between the emergence of pandemics and human disturbance of the natural environment.

How can water supply and wastewater disposal be provided flexibly and efficiently, especially in rapidly growing cities? A new research agenda formulates open questions from a technical, social and transformative perspective. It stresses the importance of transdisciplinary cooperation between research, policy and practice to promote innovation in the water sector.

Martijn Kuller is part of the FANFAR Horizon 2020 Project, funded by the EU, to address flood challenges in West Africa. Flooding is a rapidly growing concern in this part of the world, in recent years several floods have occurred with severe consequences. In an interview, Martijn talks about his experiences in establishing an early warning system for West Africa.

The energy strategy calls for a further expansion of hydropower. This puts pressure on Swiss water bodies and water landscapes. At today's Eawag Info Day, some 200 experts from practice, research and administration will discuss how the various interests in water can be met in a sustainable manner and where the competition between these interests calls for priorities to be set. The Eawag researchers will demonstrate that it is not only a question of technical solutions, but also of social acceptance, for example when measures in favour of water ecology lead to an increase in the price of electricity.

Judit Lienert, group leader in the ESS department, has been awarded the "Best EJOR Review Paper" prize together with Mika Marttunen and Valerie Belton at the EURO Conference in Dublin end of June.

Ebola is a deadly viral infection that has so far mainly been present in Central and West Africa. Many people in those regions are either unfamiliar with the disease, do not believe in it, or don’t know how to prevent infection. For this reason, UNICEF was active in The Gambia, West Africa, among other places, between 2014 and 2016, running information campaigns on how to prevent the spread of Ebola.

Today's Unesco World Water Day has the theme "Leave no one behind". Many people still do not have access to safe water and sanitary facilities for various reasons. But access to clean water alone is not enough, knows behavioural psychologist Hans-Joachim Mosler of the Department of Environmental Social Sciences.

Political questions on environmental issues are multi-faceted and can often face several conflicting objectives at once. The solutions are therefore seldom simple, and seldom satisfy all stakeholders. Environmental social scientist and biologist Judit Leinert is investigating with her research group how such conflicting objectives can best be handled.

A study by environmental social scientist Mario Angst shows that reports in the media do not always reflect the issues that most concern organisations, public sector agencies, cantons and communities on a day-to-day basis. 

Making environment-related decisions can be a complex business. A wide range of stakeholders need to be co-opted, different options need to be assessed and the impacts and consequences estimated. In order to also include the opinions of the wider public, Eawag has developed a new app that features elements of gaming.

Research in low- and middle-income countries is an important component of Eawag’s mission. The Eawag Partnership Programme (EPP) was developed to strengthen research and research ties with students and academic institutions in the Global South. 10 years and over 80 fellows from 28 different countries later, EPP celebrates the successful building of bridges and transfer of scientific knowledge.

Flooding is a rapidly growing concern in West Africa, projected to increase with climate change. There is a great need for reliable access to operational flood forecasts and alerts produced by a robust information and communication technology (ICT) system adapted to regional conditions and operated by capable West African institutions. The aim of the project FANFAR is to reinforce the cooperation between West African and European hydrologists, ICT experts, decision analysts, and end-user communities.

Dealing with wastewater right where it is being produced, instead of in central treatment plants, can be more flexible and economical depending on the location. In Switzerland, however, there are very few such decentralised wastewater treatment plants – although, as Eawag researchers have established, there is a surprisingly strong market potential for them. 

Research in low- and middle-income countries is an important component of Eawag’s mission. The Eawag Partnership Programme (EPP) was developed to strengthen research and research ties with students and academic institutions in the Global South. 10 years and over 80 fellows from 28 different countries later, EPP celebrates the successful building of bridges and transfer of scientific knowledge.

Research in low- and middle-income countries is an important component of Eawag’s mission. The Eawag Partnership Programme (EPP) was developed to strengthen research and research ties with students and academic institutions in the Global South. 10 years and over 80 fellows from 28 different countries later, EPP celebrates the successful building of bridges and transfer of scientific knowledge.

Wastewater smells foul and is full of pathogens. For these reasons it is usually removed and disposed of quickly. The out-of-sight-out-of-mind strategy is, however, costly and opportunities are lost. At Eawag’s Info Day, experts in practice come together with researchers who are seeking new answers – for example, on how nutrients or heat can be recovered from wastewater.

Eawag has a long history of innovation in the field of source separation technology. To understand this history, its collaborations and contexts, the directorate engaged historian Luke Keogh. His work resulted in the recently published “Flows of Science”, an intimate story of scientists at work.

Jennifer Inauen, group head within Eawag’s Environmental Social Sciences Department received the “Early Career Award” at this year’s European Health Psychology Society Conference in Galway. Every year, the European Health Psychology Society (EHPS) presents this award in recognition of new talent in the field of health psychology.

Knowledge brokering is a technical term used to describe activities to facilitate mutual learning between researchers, practitioners and policy makers. While frameworks exist for assessing academic impact, few equivalent tools are available for assessing the contributions of knowledge brokers at the interface between research, policy and practice. 

Roy Brouwer was invited to be part of a panel discussion during the 2018 session of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York Mid-July. Brouwer is Executive Director of the Water Institute and Professor of Economics at the University of Waterloo (Canada) and visiting Professor at Eawag.

Payment via mobile, replacement parts made on a 3D-printer, error messages via NFC-tag – Eawag doctoral student Caroline Saul has found some remarkable innovations in companies that market container toilets in developing countries. She sees great potential in making such technologies more widely available.

What is the contribution of upstream areas to micropollutant loads in the Rhine at Basel and Düsseldorf? How effectively do authorities and water suppliers collaborate on management and regulation across national boundaries? An interdisciplinary approach developed by Eawag scientists can help to identify deficiencies.

The Wings Team organizes an international workshop: "Non-grid solutions for the future of urban water management?" at the Congressi Stefano Franscini, the meeting platform of ETHZ.

The earth’s water supply is changing because of global warming: the ratio of precipitation to evaporation is sinking, and additional arid zones may emerge. The speed at which this development is likely to take place has been analysed by an international team including Eawag researchers. 

According to a survey conducted by Eawag, around 45 per cent of all actors in the Swiss water sector are concerned in some way with river restoration. 

A study by Eawag environmental social scientists has identified a total of 23 forums in Switzerland concerned with water-related issues, such as the Swiss Water Management Association (SWV), Water Agenda 21, the Swiss Water Association (VSA) and the Swiss Gas and Water Industry Association (SVGW). 

In line with the results of the recent referendum on the revised Energy Act, a representative survey conducted by Eawag environmental economists found that 78 per cent of the Swiss population support the phase-out of nuclear power.

This international water conference, co-chaired by the editors in chief of the Elsevier journals Water Research and Water Resources and Economics and endorsed by the International Water Association (IWA), aims to highlight, discuss and advance state-of-the-art thinking and research to support the transition towards a Blue Economy.

The emergence of new technologies requires conditions tailored to specific industrial sectors. Social scientists at Eawag have developed a conceptual framework describing the relevant innovation drivers. This should make it possible to identify factors hindering innovation and to design industry‑specific support programmes. 

Christian Binz and Lea Fünfschilling have won the best paper award at the 2017 International Conference on Sustainability Transitions (IST) in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The 12th eco.natur Conference took place on March 31, 2017 in Basel and focusses on the topic of Switzerland as a "water castle". Janet Hering represents eawag as one of the keynote speakers of the event. Sabine Hoffman, Simon Maag and Manuel Fischer organize workshops on the swiss water sector. 

Changing people’s behaviour is no easy matter. Having developed a method that has been shown to promote behaviour change, Hans-Joachim Mosler of Eawag’s Environmental Social Sciences department has now set up a consulting firm – attracting considerable interest among development cooperation professionals in particular. 

Manuel Fischer, tenure track researcher and group leader within the Department Environmental Social Sciences, has successfully passed his habilitation exam at the University of Bern. In his habilitation, he pointed out the factors that influence collaboration among political actors. 

On January 31st to February 2nd 2017, Grégoire Virard and Heiko Gebauer from The Business Innovation Group and SOIL (Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihood) hold a workshop in Haiti on SOIL’s vision for 2022.  SOIL provides sanitation in Haiti using CBS (Container-Based Sanitation) and EcoSan technologies.

Up to 88 representatives from the national government, local authorities, start-ups, private and public companies, NGOs, investment funds, and academic institutions participated in the official launch event for the second phase of the “Safe Resource Recovery and Reuse (RRR)” Project in Lima, Peru.

We congratulate Ulrike Feldmann, who on 12 October 2016 received the students award of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar for her outstanding master thesis "Ökologische Analyse eines integrierten Konzeptes zum Wasser- und Energierecycling im Modellgebiet Lünen sowie Rückschlüsse für die praktische Umsetzung“. 

Karin Ingold has been interviewed by the swiss Radio SRF regarding the vote on the second Gotthard tunnel in the programme News Aktuell (German).

27 Start-ups, researchers, NGOs, technology developers, and funders came together at Eawag on September 22 to exchange experiences and gain insight into how to implement and operate water kiosks more successfully. The day covered a variety of topics such as current challenges, behavior change, services, and how to increase the number of water kiosks.

Karin Ingold and Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen have written a contribution to the book "Wahlen und Stimmerschaft in Schweiz" ("Elections and the electorate in Switzerland"). Die GLP-Wählerschaft und ihre grünen und freisinnigen Wurzeln" (The GLP electorate and its green and liberal roots), Karin Ingold and Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen have contributed to the book "Wahlen und Wählerschaft in der Schweiz" (Elections and the electorate in Switzerland) by the two Bernese political scientists Markus Freitags and Adrian Vatters.