Mariel Perez Zabaleta is a researcher at DTU in Denmark who held a WaterCentre@KTH lunch seminar on 18 November 2024.
It has been a pleasure to return to KTH and present my current research topic. After completing my doctoral studies and two postdoctoral research projects at KTH, including the most recent one on SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in wastewater, it is exciting to share my latest work on water reuse in the food industry. This new topic is closely linked to my previous research, as both focus on WASTEWATER, our precious resource!
As we approach 2030, the world faces a serious water shortage, with a projected deficit of over 40%. This makes it crucial to adopt sustainable water practices and reuse water wherever possible. Shockingly, 80% of wastewater is released back into the environment without proper treatment. This not only wastes our valuable “Blue Gold” but also pollutes our planet with high loads of nutrients, chemical pollutants, drugs, microplastics, microorganisms, and more. This pressing issue was the focus of the recent seminar titled “Wastewater as a Resource: Transforming Industrial Water Use,” which highlighted the critical role industries play and the potential of wastewater reuse.
Globally, industry accounts for 19-22% of freshwater withdrawals, yet only a mere 2.4% of this water is reused. In Europe, the industrial sector consumes approximately 40% of all freshwater resources, with countries like Sweden consuming more than 60% (Figure 1). By reducing, reclaiming, recycling, and reusing water, we can significantly improve our water management practices.
Figure 1. Industrial water withdrawals in Europe. Data source: World Bank
The seminar placed a spotlight on the food industry, which has a huge impact on our water resources. Did you know that producing just one kilogram of meat can take up to 15,500 liters of water? This shows how big the food industry’s water footprint is and why it is so important for this sector to adopt smarter water use practices, like reuse, reduction, and recycling.
However, making water reuse a reality in industries isn’t without its challenges:
Legislative Framework: Current regulations might not fully support or encourage water reuse.
Knowledge of Hazards: It is crucial to understand and map out potential chemical and microbial hazards in treated water to ensure it is safe.
Robust Treatment Systems: We need effective water treatment systems that can consistently produce safe, reusable water.
The seminar also introduced the “Water-for-Purpose” concept. This means treating and recycling water based on its intended use. For example, water used in cooling towers can be recirculated after less intensive treatment. It is also important to keep different types of water separate (e.g., black water should not mix with grey water) to prevent contamination and ensure efficient treatment.
By addressing these challenges and adopting innovative practices, industries can turn wastewater into a valuable resource, helping to conserve our precious “Blue Gold” and protect the environment.
Brigita Dejus is a researcher at Riga Technical University, Latvia.
In 2021, I graduated from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Riga Technical University, where I conducted my doctoral research on using filamentous fungi for wastewater treatment with a focus on targeting pharmaceutical substances. It was a pleasant surprise for me to receive an invitation to join the lunch seminar organized by WaterCentre@KTH. During the seminar, I presented my findings on the current state of water-based epidemiology in Latvia, as well as provided insight into the European Commission’s mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”.
Forecasting COVID-19 with multiple data sources
Have you ever wondered if it is possible to forecast cumulative COVID-19 cases two weeks in advance using historical data on previous two-week cumulative cases, RNA concentration data, and strain prevalence data? Or, is it possible to demonstrate the applicability of water-based epidemiology in small and medium-sized municipalities and to test whether the combination of data from biomarkers (5-HIAA) and mobile phone call activity can increase the accuracy of a relationship assessment between the amount of detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies in wastewater and confirmed COVID-19 cases? If so, check out these two publications where a water-based epidemiology research team from Latvia has worked to find the answers (Paper I and Paper II).
Restore our waters, a EU mission for the ocean
Finally, the seminar was closed by a discussion about the European Commission’s mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”. With a 2030 target, the EC Mission aims to protect and restore the health of the ocean and waters through research and innovation, citizen engagement, and blue investments. The Mission’s new approach will address the ocean and waters as one and play a key role in achieving climate neutrality and restoring nature. More information about the mission’s goals, strategies, and ongoing activities can be found at the following link.
The importance of sharing
To conclude, I want to emphasize the importance of sharing research findings with other researchers. This is why I believe it was important to visit KTH and share my own story about my work. As John F. Kennedy has said, “Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel prizes – one for peace and one for science.” With this in mind, I urge everyone in academia to continue experimenting and upholding new knowledge for the water and wastewater field, especially as we approach the announcement of the new Nobel laureates for 2024 by next week.
The Pacífico Econavipesca project is a collaboration between KTH, universities in Sweden and Colombia, local and reginal authorities as well as fishing associations in Guapi, Colombia. Taking advantage of the knowledge of the local communities and up-to-date scientific knowledge, the project strives to develop a sustainable artisanal fishing model.
HyeonKyeong LEE, is a student at Yonsei University, South Korea
In August 2024, as part of the AI & Water Informatics Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Yonsei University, South Korea, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in World Water Week 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden.
This event focused on fostering innovation in the digital water industry. It allowed me to explore global water industries, policies, and international organizations, offering a unique platform to cross boundaries and engage with key stakeholders. Additionally, we had the chance to present our research at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and engage in discussions on shared challenges, deepening our collaboration and insights.
Participating in World Water Week 2024
At World Water Week 2024, themed “Bridging Borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future,” I had the extraordinary opportunity to engage with global water experts and policymakers, learning about the diverse and innovative approaches to tackling water challenges worldwide. One of the most impactful experiences was meeting Professor Taikan Oki, the recipient of the Stockholm Water Prize, a prestigious accolade often dubbed the Nobel Prize for the water sector. Hearing his insights and capturing a moment with him in a photograph was a great honor.
Professor Oki underscored the critical need to integrate groundwater and surface water into climate models, which traditionally focus solely on atmospheric factors. This integration is essential for understanding the comprehensive impacts of climate change. His discussion on balancing water resource management with flood prevention, especially given the intensified challenges posed by climate change, was particularly striking. It highlighted the complexity of managing reservoirs to address water storage needs and flood control.
This experience underscored the importance of translating scientific research into practical policies and the need for effective communication between researchers and policymakers. It also reinforced the necessity of evolving societal systems to achieve better environmental outcomes, emphasizing the critical role of global cooperation and strong governmental partnerships in addressing water-related issues.
Research Insights Shared at WaterCentre@KTH
At the WaterCentre@KTH in Stockholm, we had the opportunity to hear Professor Yeonjoo Kim from Yonsei University, South Korea, present two innovative examples of how artificial intelligence (AI) and process-based models are being utilized to enhance predictions of water and carbon cycles across different scales. The first example involved a hybrid precipitation nowcasting model that combines a generative adversarial neural network (GAN) with a numerical weather prediction (WRF) model. This approach improves short-term rainfall forecasts by leveraging radar data and atmospheric physics, significantly enhancing accuracy up to six hours in advance, as demonstrated during a 2018 rainfall event in South Korea.
The second example, FireDL, is a deep learning framework for predicting fire behavior and carbon emissions. FireDL uses Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) to forecast fire duration and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to estimate the burned area. Tested in Alaska, FireDL showed good performance in predicting large fires and integrating its predictions into the NCAR CLM5-BGC model to refine global carbon cycle models and assess wildfire impacts on climate change.
Unforgettable memories and impacts
My five-day experience in Stockholm, Sweden, has left me with unforgettable memories. As an undergraduate, it was particularly impactful to see firsthand how people from the other side of the world work together to tackle climate change and water crises. I was deeply moved by the realization that global efforts converge toward a common goal. This experience has given me hope that one day, through our collective efforts, we will create a world where water crises are a thing of the past and peace prevails.
MSc Metha Bregman, behavioral scientist and new business models consultant, CPONH.
MSc Karen Jonkers, network developer and change management facilitator, CPONH.
Workshop participants on the Liljeholmen Quay
As part of the EU program SOS Climate Waterfront, we, Karen Jonkers and Metha Bregman visited on behalf of CPONH, the workshop SOS Climate Waterfront in Sweden. During our one-month stay in Stockholm in May-June 2022, this gathering brought us in contact with a brand new international network of climate-aware promovendi, architects, teachers and researchers from a number of countries. We brought home an increased understanding of the Swedish society, the public transport system and Stockholm’s aspirations towards sustainable urban development. But what did we actually take home in terms of insights into the climate situation of Stockholm? And what typical Dutch solutions could be applied?
More deaths from extreme heat and more frequent downpours
Daniel Oudin Åström of Umeå University, Sweden, and colleagues, report in Nature Climate Change, that deaths from extreme heat doubled in Stockholm, Sweden, between 1980 and 2009 and the agent behind this grim reckoning seems to be global warming. The not very surprising conclusion is that with increasing temperatures, and with more moisture in the air, there will be more rain. Looking for extreme events, the scientists conclude that as the century wears on, torrential downpours of the kind that once happened only every 50 years will start to happen every 20 years or so.
So, like in the Netherlands, climate change leads to extreme heat as well as extreme rainfall and flooding, asking for solutions in urban planning and awareness of potential risks in humans and youth to provide for future solutions.
Climate adaptation, lessons from the Netherlands
For the last 8 years, the water authorities in the Netherlands have been increasing the perspective of ‘climate adaptation’. The idea is that adaptive cities and landscapes need flexible solutions for the (climate) developments of the future. The country has invested in the development of a climate map in which the consequences of extreme downpours and heat and draught become transparent. This gives a clear insight into the vulnerable places and points out where to solve the most urgent issues in case of extreme weather. Landscape elements that contain solutions can be increased water storage capacity and water disposal like wadis for low areas in town or more bushes and trees to prevent heat stress in stony areas. Given our history and present with ‘flooding’ our focus has been more on this, than e.g. on heat prevention. The knowledge portal climate adaptation bundled knowledge example projects Take a look!
In the devised design and future vision, the new adaptive embankment is conceived of as part of a wide landscape zone. For this zone, a reinforcement strategy is provided in which sedimentation (sludge) is used to form new river dunes, thus strengthening the embankment. The result is a dynamic river landscape that welcomes recreation, environmental development and new forms of habitation.
Although interesting solutions can thus be found in the Netherlands, as well as in Stockholm, it remains a huge challenge to create future-proof cities because as in Stockholm, a big part of the urban territory in the Netherlands is often private property but also very densely populated and given away as well. The top 3 problems for urban planners in the Netherlands are therefore said to be:
the earlier mentioned return-on-investment problem,
City Deals – a business model that fits Dutch culture
Given the Dutch history and culture of business and ‘do-it-yourself mentality’ combined with a certain ‘civil disobedience’, solutions are focused on new business models that are based upon ideas on cooperation between the corporate and public world as well as involving citizens. And so; At the end of 2015, various parties involved came up with the idea of starting a City Deal for the globally challenging theme of climate adaptation. “In City Deals, ambitious partners from the cities, public and private, work together with the national government on new solutions, in which existing practices and financing models are discussed.” In the documentary film The Resilient City Explained, this journey is visualized with projects, stories and personal visions. More information can be found here.
A suitcase filled with ideas on ‘Sustainable Tuesday’
As mentioned before: involving residents and educating adults and children in climate awareness, is found to be of great influence in the success of implementing solutions. Interesting examples are e.g. climate festivals, or any kind of festival executed in a ‘planet inclusive way’, i.e. run on renewable energy and recycled water and recycled waste. To raise awareness and involve people in finding solutions, the first Tuesday of September is Sustainable Tuesday. A special day on which sustainable ideas and initiatives are given a platform in political The Hague. On this day, the cabinet will receive the Sustainable Tuesday suitcase containing hundreds of sustainable ideas and initiatives from all corners of our society. The most sustainable, innovative and distinctive ideas and initiatives have a chance to win prizes and the opportunity to give the idea or initiative an extra boost.
Lessons from Stockholm – multidisciplinary approach needed
Photo: Katarina Larsen, KTH
Our statement is that we learned in Stockholm that we need a multidisciplinary approach to urban planning and design. We need to combine design solutions, new technologies and innovations with more ‘soft’, psychological and change knowledge skills. Ambitions like creating awareness, influencing behavior and involving and educating residents, will prosper with the knowledge of behavioral change experts. In the business area, new business models like co-creation and sharing investments and revenues are to be considered.
We hope to have given you some ideas and are ready for exchanging more ideas and examples to create the most wonderful tantalizing robust and climate-proof cities.
CPONH, Collective Private Enterprise-Noord Holland of multi-disciplinary academics, is a non-governmental Foundation, aimed at supporting (Dutch) civilian initiatives on sustainable housing and climate-proof neighborhood areas.
This summer, the project was part of a presentation to 
In August 2024, as part of the AI & Water Informatics Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Yonsei University, South Korea, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in World Water Week 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden.
At the WaterCentre@KTH in Stockholm, we had the opportunity to hear 
