ETH Zürich is one of the leading international universities in natural science and technology. It has more than 18,000 students from over 110 countries, including close to 4000 doctoral students. The three chairs of Hydrology and Water Resources Management (HWRM-ETHZ) in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, and Ecosystem Management (EM-ETHZ) and Aquatic Chemistry (AC-ETHZ) in the Department of Environmental Systems Science have strong, interdisciplinary research and teaching programs with projects focus on field sites all around the world (e.g. Africa, Europe, Asia, alpine and tropical regions).

The Chair of Hydrology and Water Resources Management deals with teaching and research activities in the field of surface water hydrology and of water resources analysis, planning and management. The research priorities of the H&WRM Chair concentrate on understanding and modelling the physical processes of the hydrological cycle, as well as the effects of the anthropogenic forcing on hydrology and water resources.

The Chair of Ecosystem Management carries out research, from local to global scales, on ecosystem services, plant reproductive ecology, conservation genetics, adaptation to climate change, responses to forest fragmentation, and land use management.

The Aquatic Chemistry Group follows an interdisciplinary research agenda. They carry analysis of biogeo-chemical processes in lakes and rivers with chemical sensors, isotopic tracers and numerical models. The group collaborates closely with the Department of Surface Waters at EAWAG (the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology).

Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) is one of the largest technical universities in Europe and ranked among the world top university in several engineering areas. POLIMI is participating in the project with two research units involving two departments.

The Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering (DEIB) is one of the major ICT university departments in Europe, with over 800 members. Beside traditional ICT areas, DEIB has a strong international reputation in cross-disciplinary fields, including the application of Systems Analysis and Control Theory to the field of water resources modeling, management and decision making. The research team participating in the project consists of members from the group on Environmental Systems Planning and Management.

INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR RESEARCH ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ECONOMY

Contact:	Dr. Xanthi Kartala

The University of Aberdeen (UABDN) was founded in 1495, is Scotland’s third oldest University and is the fifth oldest in the UK. Aberdeen is an international University built on serving one of the most dynamic regions of Europe and is at the forefront of teaching and research in the humanities, medicine and sciences. Some University of Aberdeen successes include: 5 Nobel Prizes; high quality research with 76% of our research recognized as internationally excellent or world leading in the UK’s 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The REF 2014 also judged that 85% of our impact on society was internationally excellent or outstanding.

The Law School at the University of Aberdeen is one of the ancient departments of the University which began teaching law in 1495 and has around 50 academic staff, 900 LLB undergraduates, 345 taught postgraduate students made up of: 200 LLM, 80 Diploma in Professional and Legal Practice and 65 postgraduate research students. The School’s central aim is to maintain our status as a research intensive Law School and to improve the quality of our published research, the impact of our work and the ability to maximise our research through external funding. The School maintains an international and thematically diverse approach to research in law, including some inter-disciplinary links, but have also created two strong foci for legal research in two new research centres: the Centre in Energy Law which attracts 100 PG students annually and the Centre for Private International Law. Among its many research clusters and groups the Public International Law Research Group (PILRG) embraces a thriving community of senior, early career and student community including the Young Research Forum which is led by the PILRG.

The University of Osnabrück, founded in 1974, is located in northwest Germany and carries out research and teaching in the areas of Humanities, Social Sciences, Science, Law and Business Administration/Economics. The project will involve one research department within the Institute of Environmental Systems Research.

The interdisciplinary Institute of Environmental Systems Research (IUSF), founded in 1994, is an inter-faculty institution of the Schools of Mathematics/Computer Science, Biology/Chemistry, Physics, and Business Studies, which renders IUSF in a unique environment for interdisciplinary research topics, such as the water-energy-food nexus. The main research areas undertaken at the Institute include resources management, ecosystems analysis, water management and governance, adaptive management, biogeochemical modelling, theoretical biology and ecology, environmental exposure and risk analysis. Research in environmental system science is carried out at the Institute in six departments, including Theoretical Systems Science, Applied Systems Science, Ecological Modeling, Environmental Systems Modeling, Applied Environment Systems Research, and Resources Management. The Institute has carried out numerous international and European FP projects. Over the past decade, the Department of Resources Management focuses on the development of innovative concepts for managing transformation processes towards sustainability with an emphasis on an improved understanding of dynamics of actor networks, socio-technical innovations and complex resource governance and management systems.

IWMI is a non-profit, scientific research organization focusing on the sustainable use of water and land resources in developing countries and is one of 15 international research centres under the global research partnership CGIAR. It is headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with regional offices across Asia and Africa. IWMI’s offices in Africa are based in Accra, Ghana; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Pretoria, South Africa; and Cairo, Egypt.

IWMI’s vision is a water-secure world and our mission reflected in the new 2014-2018 strategy is to deliver water and land management solutions for developing countries. IWMI received the Stockholm Water Prize in 2012 for its pioneering research that has served to improve agriculture water management, enhance food security, protect environmental health and alleviate poverty in developing countries. The team of 110 researchers include irrigation and agricultural engineers, economists, agronomists, remote sensing and spatial analysts, social scientists, ecologists and wetland specialists, water quality and health experts, soil scientists and agronomists.

African Collaborative Centre for Earth Systems Science (ACCESS), was established at the University of Nairobi and is registered in Kenya since 1997 to work with policy makers and social/natural scientists to ensure that the research agenda supports societal and policy needs in Africa. ACCESS develops partnerships with international Global Environmental Change Programmes (DIVERSITAS, IGBP, IHDP, WCRP) among others to build scientific capacity in global change science in Africa. Its primary functions are: (1) To foster global change research on a regional scale, including the impacts of climate change on water resources, food security, ecosystem, health and sustainable development in Africa, (2) To develop human resources and enhance regional scientific capacity and (3) To provide support for policy formulation and institutional development in Africa. ACCESS is an existing regional body of African Scientists, an institution that is associated and housed in the University of Nairobi, but is financially independent from it. It has also rights granted from the Government of Kenya to operate USD/Euro account. Initially focused on: water and climatic modelling; desertification; land degradation; health and pollution; marine ecosystems.

The University of Zambia (UNZA) is the largest university in Zambia established by Act of Parliament No. 66 of 1965. It has nine schools (Agriculture, Education, Engineering, Law, Humanities and Social Sciences, Medicine, Mines, Natural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine), 2 Institutes, Directorate and a Centre. The motto of the University “Service and Excellence” has guided the development of the University since its inception.

The University of Zambia Integrated Water Resources Management (UNZA IWRM) Centre was established in 2006. It is hosted by the School of Mines at the University of Zambia. The UNZA IWRM Centre was established as part of the Water Sector Support programme developed by Ministry of Energy and Water Development (MEWD). Its main objective is to build capacity in IWRM in Zambia focusing on water resources covering surface and groundwater, employing techniques for assessments, quantifications, quality analysis and modeling e.g. use of remote sensing and GIS. It also aims to improve water sector performance and ensure that there is sustainable management of the water resources.

Eduardo Mondlane University (EMU) is the oldest in Mozambique with more than 50 years. Engineering and science fields were introduced at the inception of the institution. The Hydraulics and Water Resources Section is within the Department of Civil Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering at EMU will be the main link to the project activities.

Since 1982 the Hydraulics and Water Resources Section (HWRS) has been involved in many different projects in the field of Water Resources Management. Individual research studies were conducted in the fields of Hydrology, Ground Water Exploitation and Management, Drinking Water & Wastewater Treatment, Irrigation and Drainage and on Environmental Impact of Industrial Wastewater discharges. More recently since 2002 the HWRS has been implementing a research project entitled Integrated Water Resources Management For Sustainable Development in Southern Mozambique. Quantitative and Qualitative Aspects of WRM in Multi-Purpose River Basins. This comprehensive research project is unique in river basin management so far in the country and as yielded considerable inputs to the water rector in Mozambique. Of particular relevance to present initiative the above mentioned project investigated the links between land use and river water quality. The project also includes aspects of flood management, this project is also conducting research on the relationship hydropower and environment in the Zambezi river.

The main objective of the Resource Centre is to establish a full-fledged and modern resource database for water and land management in Ethiopia building on accumulated data and knowledge of the University of Bern, its learning watershed, observatories and of other similar undertakings in the country. It will generate appropriate information on processes of hydro-sedimentology, meteorology and land management and serve as a knowledge hub in the country and the Eastern Nile Region at large. It aims at helping decision makers, planners and the scientific community to make informed decision and planning for reducing degradation and poverty in the country and the Easter Nile Region, for exploring alternative potential uses of natural resources, and for developing benefit sharing mechanisms.

ATEC-3D Ltd is a commercial company that uses a variety of fixed wing and multi rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’S) for a wide variety of applications. We provide cost effective and reliable aerial solutions worldwide and across a variety of different industries. Our range of services include: UAV Aerial mapping, UAV aerial surveying, aerial inspections and aerial photography and video.

Our UAV Aerial Photography, Survey and Monitoring services can be used for a wide range of different applications for use by individuals, small businesses, large corporations, local authorities or emergency services. All of our UAV operators are authorized by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to conduct aerial work and are fully insured.

EIPCM is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, research and development of participatory platforms, knowledge tools and next-generation media ecosystems. Their research aims at enabling organizations, industry and society at large to take advantage of new participatory forms of content and media creation, delivery and utilization based on real-life needs of European citizens, public organizations and industry. EIPCM is highly experienced in developing participatory platforms and investigating collective awareness mechanisms. Its research displays a strong focus on user-centred design and evaluation of participatory systems and processes, integrating state-of-the-art knowledge visualisation and social media technologies. A particular focus is in the areas of ICT for sustainability and cooperative processes and tools for multi-stakeholder engagement and dialogue.

In the on-going EU CAPS-project CHEST, EIPCM ensures the bottom-up engagement of European social innovation communities as well as the implementation of the project’s vision of participatory and open social innovation. In CHEST, EIPCM is also responsible for the social impact monitoring and steering. As the Use Case Director in the on-going EU FP7 water sustainability project SmartH2O, EIPCM is Director of Pilots and Use Cases, responsible for overseeing the development of use cases (scenarios), test sites involvement and the validation activities. In the Energy Turn Trialogues project of the Humboldt-Viadrina School of Governance, which developed and operated a political platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue on the German ‘Energiewende’ (Energy Turn) policies, EIPCM has been part of the advisory board supporting the design, tools and evaluation of the participatory processes for multi-stakeholder dialogue and engagement.