Monserrat Zamorano, director of the Hidralia Chair for Digital Management, has highlighted digitization as an essential element in sustainable water management

Hidralia's foundation, the Aquae Foundation, has held the ninth edition of the Aquae Chair awards, in order to recognize the best works presented in the categories of Doctoral Thesis, Master's Thesis and Final Degree Project. A call that, since its launch, has received more than 260 applications.

The award-winning Doctoral Thesis was presented by Nuria Roigé from Tarragona, PhD from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, who has focused her research on the development of a new methodology for prioritizing investments in infrastructures linked to the integral water cycle that be able to carry out an objective, transparent and participatory distribution using Sustainable Development criteria.

For her part, Sandra Soniera, from A Coruña, from the University of Santiago de Compostela, received the award for the best Master's Thesis for her study focused on the importance of cost recovery for proper management of the integral water cycle.

Lastly, Alejandro Morán from Biscay, a student at the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid, won the prize for the best Final Degree Project for his work on water governance in the Aral Sea basin.

Agbar Network of Water Chairs

The event also included a round table in which various representatives of the Agbar Group Network of Chairs participated. A project in which nine universities participate, through eleven Chairs, including the Aquae Chair, with the aim of developing a global position in the face of common challenges in the water sector and on the planet, detecting and generating talent, and reinforcing the alliances.

Montserrat Zamorano, director of the Hidralia Chair for Digital, Innovative, Social and Sustainable Water Management; Jorge Olcina, director of the Aguas de Alicante Chair on Climate Change; and Amelia Pérez Zabaleta, director of the Aquae Chair of Water Economics; together with Asunción Martínez, delegate patron of Fundación Aquae and director of Acción 2030 Social de Agbar; During this meeting, they addressed the major challenges facing the water sector and how this Network can contribute to addressing them.

“The Strategic Project for the Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) for the Digitization of the Water Cycle, will help us, thanks to public-private collaboration, to transform the management of the integral water cycle, providing us with knowledge, data and investment to advance in its sustainable management”, highlighted Monserrat Zamorano.