17 innovative projects funded with Partners for Water subsidies

1. Brine minimisation with SmartBrine (Brazil)

In response to increasing global water scarcity, Seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalination (SWRO) is a rapidly expanding industry. Currently, global brine production is rising, creating challenges for safe discharge and posing various environmental risks. This feasibility study aims to explore and test three technology routes: electrochlorination, mineral recovery and (blue/green) energy production, working towards an integrated brine valorisation strategy for developing on-site pilot systems in Brazil. The expected outcome includes an initial design for a pilot plant structure to implement brine minimisation valorisation (volume reduction and valuable resource recovery), while exploring additional SWRO brine valorisation processes. Consortium partners: NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Royal HaskoningDHV, and Ceará State Water and Sewage Company (CAGECE).

2. Water quality monitoring with BlueBox (Brazil)

Water management authorities continue to face significant challenges in monitoring and detecting water pollution from various sources.

The BlueBox offers an innovative solution as a complete, onshore water quality monitoring system. Through a single water intake, it independently detects and locates discharged pollution from multiple sources. The system uses pre-determined data classifications to identify illegal discharges and trigger alerts, enabling effective regulatory enforcement. This pilot project will be demonstrated at CEDAE’s facilities in Brazil. Consortium partners: LG Sonic, Hydrovolta and CEDAE.

3. Managing aquifer storage and recovery (Colombia)

In Colombia’s Magdalena department, the Frio and Sevilla river basins form crucial water reserves connected by agricultural areas. While banana crops consume 71% of the water demand, severe surface water shortages during the dry season are causing tensions among users and threatening local biodiversity.
This project applies an innovative Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) technology adapted for saline environments. Using the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) method, groundwater wells will both inject and recover water from the aquifer. This approach enables water storage during the rainy season for utilisation during dry periods. Building on a 2023 feasibility study, funded by Partners for Water, this pilot will demonstrate practical solutions for sustainable water management in the region.
Consortium partners: Deltares, KWR, Fundación Herencia Ambiental Caribe, Banasan.

4. Integrated Water and Sewerage Information Management System (Fiji)

Fiji’s Department of Water and Sewerage (DWS) faces significant water management challenges due to fragmented data systems, leading to inefficiencies and poor compliance with regulatory mandates.

AKVO Foundation will pilot IWSIMS (Integrated Water and Sewerage Information Management System), a cost-effective and technically sustainable data management system. The solution offers multiple data entry options including web forms, mobile apps, and SMS-based reporting, making data collection more accessible. This comprehensive system will improve water quality monitoring, reduce non-revenue water losses, and minimize environmental risks while enhancing DWS’s ability to manage water resources effectively and comply with regulations.

Consortium partners: AKVO Foundation in collaboration with Fiji’s Department of Water and Sewerage (DWS).

5. (Weather)radar for Africa (Ghana)

Access to accurate rainfall data and weather forecasts remains a significant challenge across Africa as traditional weather radar systems are prohibitively expensive. This particularly affects farmers who need reliable weather information for optimal crop management.

This pilot project introduces an innovative ‘rain-weather service’ that utilises commercial microwave links (CMLs) to measure rainfall intensity through signal disruption patterns. This cost-effective solution will provide accurate rainfall maps and short-term forecasts through multiple platforms – web, feature phones and smartphones. The service will include both a free platform and a subscription-based option with SMS notifications and in-app features. This technology enables farmers to optimise planting, harvesting and irrigation schedules, resulting in improved water management and crop protection. Consortium partners: Rainboo BV, TU Delft, TAHMO.

6. Sustainable water management in the batik industry (Indonesia)

Indonesia’s traditional batik industry faces considerable water management problems, with current production methods often leading to high water consumption and negative environmental impacts at both workshop and community (kampung) levels.

This two-year pilot project will develop and demonstrate an innovative, sustainable model for batik production. The first phase focuses on testing water conservation, sustainable water sourcing and wastewater treatment solutions at selected “Green Batik Champion” workshops. The second phase will expand these solutions and establish a Green Batik Centre at Universitas Pekalongan, creating a hub for sustainable batik production practices. Consortium partners: The Water Agency, Resilience BV, Saxion University (International Water Technology), Vitens Evides International (VEI), Universitas Pekalongan (UNIKAL), Rietland.

7. Real-time flood and landslide disaster dashboard (Indonesia)

Indonesia’s vulnerability to floods and landslides requires rapid disaster response, yet current monitoring methods lack timely, accurate, and spatially precise data, resulting in ineffective disaster management.

FloodTags and Radboud University (Centre of Language Studies) are developing ‘HazTags’, an innovative Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution leveraging Large Language Models that understand context, nuances and emotions in text to extract and process critical information from media documents, providing real-time analysis of flood and landslide disasters. Through an accessible dashboard and API, the system identifies critical information such as breach locations, spatial extent, infrastructure damage, impacted logistics, rescue needs and more.

Consortium partners: FloodTags, Radboud University (Centre of Language Studies).

8. Affordable Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (Kenya)

Due to drought conditions fish farmers in Nyeri County, Kenya who rely on traditional open ponds face significant challenges. Building on a previous Partners for Water feasibility study, this pilot project employs affordable Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (A-RAS) designed to reduce water consumption by 95-98% compared to current pond systems. The solution combines innovative sand filters and microbubble technology with low-cost monitoring systems to measure essential parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH and conductivity. Real-time notifications enable farmers to intervene straightaway, ensuring efficient farm operations while minimising resource use. Consortium partners: Stichting Food Systems and Poverty Alleviation-Africa (FOSPA-Africa).

9. Improving water catchment and retainment of agricultural soil (Morocco)

In Morocco’s Boulemane region, rain fed agriculture struggles with severe droughts, with poor soil conditions limiting water retention and agricultural productivity.
This pilot project implements an innovative, Nature-based Solution for improving water catchment and retention in agricultural soils at the farm level. The approach combines rain and flood analyses, advanced software and engineering and local knowledge to strategically modify soil structures. By integrating organic waste valorisation and landscape restoration techniques into existing agricultural practices, the project demonstrates how natural processes can enhance water management. This pilot project aims to validate the approach for potential large-scale implementation by government actors and agrifood companies throughout Morocco. The consortium intends to offer services and technology, validated in this project, to governmental organisations and agrifood companies throughout the country.

Consortium partners: Spaak Circular Solutions, The Weather Makers.

10. Smart productive forests (Nepal)

In Nepal, land degradation, monoculture cropping, road construction and illegal logging have reduced the land’s ability to retain water, leading to increased runoff, erosion and diminished water management capacity.

The Green Intelligence B.V., in co-creation with local communities, is piloting sustainable agroforestry and bioengineering practices. These include planting trees as a Nature-based Solutions (NBS) to increase biomass, decrease runoff, stabilise the soils and enhance water storage. Through a web portal, farmers can register their planted trees and receive direct financial rewards via carbon credits. The system provides customised tree care advice and uses AI to detect tree-related events such as species identification and disease. The portal also facilitates data export for carbon credit registration, connecting farmers to international carbon financing opportunities.

Consortium partner: The Green Intelligence B.V.

11. Flood forecasting and real-time emergency response (New Zealand)

New Zealand’s severe weather events in 2023, causing flash floods, landslides and widespread disruption, highlighted the need for enhanced impact-based flood forecasting and emergency response systems to better protect communities and ecosystems.

Hydrologic and partners will pilot SAFER (Service for Advanced Flood Emergency Response), a comprehensive flood forecasting and response service that integrates proven data and technology with cutting-edge machine learning methods and local protocols. The system uses advanced data processing techniques and employs high-performance cloud computing and Long Short-Term Memory neural networks, enabling models to run over 1,000 times faster than traditional methods. This innovative service aims to transforms flood- and extreme weather preparedness and response capabilities, delivering a service that is scalable and currently unavailable to water managers.

Consortium partners: Hydrologic, World Water Academy, Water Technology, MetService (National Weather Service of New Zealand).

12. Erosion prevention along river shores (Paraguay)

Along the Paraguay River, increased navigation traffic is generating waves that cause severe erosion of riverbanks, threatening both local ecosystems and the livelihoods of riverine communities. This pilot project introduces an innovative Nature-based Solution using wave-damping mats constructed from locally available trees. Unlike conventional grey infrastructure, these mats offer a sustainable, cost-effective and adaptable approach to erosion prevention while improving river ecosystems. The solution is designed to be easily replicated and maintained by local communities, ensuring long-term sustainability and community empowerment. Consortium partners: WWF Netherlands, Stroming, HKV.

13. Long Distance Irrigation Management System (Tunisia)

Tunisia’s agriculture and horticulture sectors face significant challenges due to water scarcity, requiring water-saving measures that limit surface run-off, underground flows, and evaporation while maximising efficient use of scarce water resources.

HaiaSolutions is piloting LDIMS (Long-Distance Irrigation Management System), an innovative laser-based irrigation scheduling tool that uses optical probes to measure field-wide transpiration levels. By monitoring plant transpiration as a direct indicator of water needs, the system determines the exact amount and timing of irrigation required for optimal plant development, regardless of the irrigation method of the farmer. The technology is developed with local expertise and materials in combination with Dutch NWO equipment and support. During the pilot, it will be tested across various irrigation methods, as well as desert-like conditions.

Consortium partner: HaiaSolutions.

14. Conserving water in the banana industry (Philippines)

Using a biodegradable wetting agent, Aqua Aid Europe and Innotechma Holding are exploring an innovative solution that could reduce agricultural water consumption by up to 39%. Following successful laboratory tests in the Netherlands, this feasibility study will evaluate the agent’s effectiveness in real-world conditions at a controlled banana plantation setting in the Philippines. Consortium partners: Aqua Aid Europe, Innotechma Holding.

Conserving water in the banana industry

15. Green Rivers in Can Tho (Vietnam)

Pollution and ecosystem degradation pose serious threats to Can Tho’s urban waterways affecting both environmental and community wellbeing.
Building on successful initial prototyping, CLEAR RIVERS is developing an innovative solution that transforms collected plastic waste into floating vegetated landscapes (‘floatlands’) for the city’s canals. The project will develop three enhanced prototypes, with at least one being implemented and tested in the Rạch Cái Khế canal. These floating wetlands serve multiple purposes: improving water quality, restoring ecosystems and enhancing biodiversity. The final design will provide a blueprint for scaling up to a larger pilot initiative, demonstrating how urban waste can be transformed into sustainable environmental solutions. Consortium partners: CLEAR RIVERS.

16. Discharge monitoring in remote areas (Zambia)

This feasibility study explores an innovative, affordable solution for river discharge monitoring using image-based technology. The project will develop a scalable monitoring service featuring a camera made entirely from do-it-yourself components. This cost-effective approach aims to improve flood and drought forecasting, enabling better decision-making and early warning systems in remote areas where traditional monitoring methods are impractical. Consortium partners: Rainbow Sensing, LocalDevices Technologies, Photrack

17. .AI-powered water culture monitoring system (Zambia)

Monitoring fish health and growth is a critical concern for Zambia’s traditional fish farming industry. This leads to inefficient feeding practices, compromised water quality and reduced farm productivity. TilapAI, a Dutch startup, has developed an innovative AI-powered monitoring system using dual-camera setups and deep learning algorithms. This non-invasive solution continuously monitors fish health and estimates weight in real-time, enabling early disease detection in large fish populations. The system optimises feeding strategies through precise growth data, reducing waste and negative impacts on water quality while improving overall farm efficiency.
Consortium partners: TilapAI.