Science that matters

As the summer of 2026 clearly demonstrates, the increasingly frequent and extreme periods of drought also threaten the availability and quality of groundwater, by far Switzerland’s most important source of drinking water. A new factsheet summarises the current understanding of drought in groundwater. To take preventive action, Switzerland should consistently promote the replenishment of groundwater, make infrastructure more resilient and develop a more comprehensive management approach.

Every year, Swiss wastewater treatment plants release around 5 tonnes of microplastics into the environment. That is relatively little: It is estimated that around twice as many microplastic enters Swiss water bodies via the atmosphere. These figures come from the largest nationwide investigation to date on ultrafine plastic particles in the air, water and soil, a joint project by Eawag, Empa and Agroscope. These figures were made possible thanks to a new approach to sampling that yields significantly more reliable results than previous processes.

The energy transition is taking its toll on our bodies of water. The Eawag Info Day, which is taking place today in Lucerne, therefore focuses on the role of water in the energy transition. Christian Stamm, Deputy Director of Eawag, explains where the problems lie and how Eawag is helping to find solutions.

A new study finds the link between biodiversity and poverty was shaped by colonial history rather than by nature itself—and argues that conservation built on the opposite assumption risks repeating it.