Towards a Water-wise World
Climate change, pollution, population growth, the future presents us with problems directly related to the water cycle. KWR generates knowledge to enable the water sector to operate water-wisely. Our scientific findings and the resulting practical innovations contribute, worldwide, to a sustainable water cycle and the sustainable development goals of the UN.
Research agenda and quality assurance
Climate change, pollution, population growth, the future presents us with problems directly related to the water cycle. KWR generates knowledge to enable the water sector to operate water-wisely. Our scientific findings and the resulting practical innovations contribute, worldwide, to a sustainable water cycle and the sustainable development goals of the UN.
All research topics
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HealthBiological activity
Growth of microorganisms in (drinking) water can present risks to public health and lead to customer complaints, technical problems and exceedance of legal standards. Besides making an accurate diagnosis, KWR...
HealthEmerging contaminants
Emerging contaminants are a possible threat to the public health and environment. KWR develops smarter, more integrative, more efficient and cost-effective methods to measure and assess contaminants in water. This...
HealthMicrobial safety
Water safety is vital. Citizens must be able to drink and swim in safe water, and farmers must be able to produce plant and animal products in a safe manner,...
HealthSafe innovation and the water sector
Technological innovations can involve risks to (drinking) water and public health. Greater public awareness, and adequate risk assessment and management can create the right risk perception, and lead to public...
SustainabilitySustainable use of freshwater resources
Access to sufficient and clean freshwater is not a given. Globally, the water sector is confronted with ever-increasing water security challenges and the need to use freshwater sources in a...
SustainabilityClimate change and resilience
The water sector needs practice-oriented research to help it confront the wide-ranging consequences of climate change. KWR meets this need through knowledge development and practical tools that help assess the...
SustainabilitySustainable energy
There is a worldwide drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shift to cleaner, more sustainable energy sources. Within the energy transition, water plays an important role. At the interface...
SustainabilitySustainable resources
The circular economy is the alternative to the current – essentially linear – economy. While the linear economy is based on the ‘take, make, dispose’ approach to materials and energy,...
SocietyStakeholder involvement and governance
Stakeholder engagement is an effective means of connecting technical and social-governance issues. KWR has a great deal of knowledge and experience to share with the water sector in these areas.
SocietyCitizen science and public participation
Increased citizen engagement is confronting the water sector with steadily growing demands. A connection needs to be made between technology and social-governance issues. Thanks to KWR’s knowledge of and experience...
SocietyValorisation
Given the urgency of current water challenges, public authorities, utilities and industry feel a strong need to use the available knowledge in an effective and efficient way. Water organisations need...
Looking aheadFutures studies and response strategies
Futures research improves the resilience of the water sector by supporting anticipatory governance and by maximising the adaptive capacity of the organisations. Futures research helps the water sector to...
Enabling technologiesHydrogenomics
Genomic techniques are developing at a very rapid pace in health, life, forensic and environmental science. These techniques provide very interesting new prospects for the water sector: fast detection of...
Enabling technologiesHydroinformatics
Hydroinformatics is the application of information technology in its broadest sense on water-cycle related issues, combining technological, sociological and environmental perspectives. Hydroinformatics is about having the required data and the...
Enabling technologiesInnovative water treatment technologies
Drinking water treatment is subject to many demands and, today, the challenges it faces are becoming increasingly complex – for instance, the increased occurrence of emerging contaminants, salinisation and antimicrobial...
Enabling technologiesFuture-proof networks
Even if the Netherlands has a superbly functioning drinking water network, parts of it are aged and will need to be renewed in the years ahead. During the process, both...
Enabling technologiesNew materials and technologies
Detecting and removing emerging contaminants calls for advanced materials and technologies. KWR develops knowledge about new materials and technologies to detect and remove emerging contaminants in the water cycle. We...