Eawag - Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology

The Sustainable Development Goals are at the heart of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. 193 countries, including Switzerland, have adopted the 2015 Agenda. The 17 goals aim to advance sustainable development worldwide at the economic, social and environmental levels, put human dignity at the centre, protect the planet and promote peace and prosperity for all.

Eawag’s research enables progress towards attaining the 17 SDGs. First and foremost, our work naturally supports Goal 6: clean drinking water and sanitation. However, many research projects also contribute to Goals 2, 3, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.

By clicking on the SDG, the goal is explained and projects are shown that contribute to achieving the goal.

Sampling at the Werdhölzli WWTP, Zurich, where wastewater from almost 400,000 people is collected. (Photo: Eawag, Esther Michel)

December 17, 2024

December 17, 2024Today, over 60 experts from research, federal and cantonal administration, the police, politics and hospitals are meeting to discuss the current status and future of wastewater monitoring in Switzerland. The current trends: a seasonal increase for influenza and the RSV virus, stagnating or even declining for coronavirus. We spoke to environmental engineer Christoph Ort, who, together with environmental microbiologist Tim Julian, established the field of wastewater-based epidemiology at Eawag and - in cooperation with external experts - is constantly adapting it.

Blue-green spaces such as the area along the River Limmat near Zurich’s city centre cool the environment and help to mitigate the effect of global warming (iStock, Michael Derrer Fuchs).

December 12, 2024

December 12, 2024Plants and water can mitigate heat in cities. Using Zurich as a case study, Eawag researchers tested a climate model which indicates how large the effect of green and blue spaces is. The model supports urban planning and shows where improvements would be particularly effective.

ETH Rector Günther Dissertori presents Valentin Faust with the 2024 Otto-Jaag Water Protection Prize (Photo: ETH, Alessandro Della Bella).

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024During ETH Day on 16 November 2024, environmental engineer Valentin Faust was awarded the Otto-Jaag Water Protection Prize for his doctoral thesis. His work provides important insights about the production of fertiliser from human urine.