Partners for Water selects 17 innovative projects
Published on:
30 January 2025
The Partners for Water programme has granted 17 new projects with subsidies to support their innovative initiatives. These projects, developed in close collaboration with local partners, aim to improve water security worldwide. They span diverse regions, including New Zealand and Fiji in the Pacific Ocean, Ghana and Zambia in Africa, and Brazil and Paraguay in South America.
Below, you will find a table summarising the consortium partners, the projects, the technologies being used and the countries where these projects are taking place.
| Consortium partners | Technology | Project Title | Country |
| NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Royal HaskoningDHV, Ceará State Water and Sewage Company (CAGECE) | This feasibility study explores 3 technology routes: Electrochlorination, mineral recovery and energy production, aiming to develop a brine valorisation strategy for pilot systems. The expected outcome is an initial design for a pilot plant focused on brine minimisation. | Brine minimisation with SmartBrine | Brazil |
| LG Sonic, Hydrovolta, CEDAE | The BlueBox provides a complete onshore water quality monitoring system that detects and locates discharged pollution through a single intake. It identifies illegal discharges using pre-determined classifications and triggers alerts for effective regulatory enforcement. | Water quality monitoring with BlueBox | Brazil |
| Deltares, KWR, Fundación Herencia Ambiental Caribe, Banasan | Using this method, groundwater wells will inject and recover water from the aquifer. This enables water storage during the rainy season for use 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. | Managing aquifer storage and recovery | Colombia |
| AKVO Foundation, Fiji’s Department of Water and Sewerage (DWS) | The AKVO Foundation will pilot a cost-effective, integrated water and sewerage information management system to improve water quality monitoring, reduce non-revenue water losses, and minimise environmental risks. | Integrated Water and Sewerage Information Management System | Fiji |
| Rainboo BV, TU Delft, TAHMO | This pilot project introduces an innovative rain-weather service that uses commercial microwave links to measure rainfall intensity through signal disruption patterns. The project will provide accurate rainfall maps and short-term forecasts through multiple platforms. | (Weather) radar for Africa | Ghana |
| The Water Agency, Resilience BV, Saxion University (International Water Technology), Vitens Evides International (VEI), Universitas Pekalongan (UNIKAL), Rietland | This 2-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. The second phase will create a hub for sustainable batik production practices. | Sustainable water management in the batik industry | Indonesia |
| FloodTags, Radboud University (Centre of Language Studies) | Through an accessible dashboard and API, the system identifies critical information such as breach locations, spatial extent, infrastructure damage, impacted logistics and rescue needs. | Real-time flood and landslide disaster dashboard | Indonesia |
| Stichting Food Systems and Poverty Alleviation-Africa (FOSPA-Africa) | A pilot project, based on a Partners for Water study, cuts water usage by 95-98% through innovative sand filters and microbubble technology. Low-cost monitoring systems provide real-time notifications, allowing fish farmers to optimise operations and minimise resource use. | Affordable Recirculating Aquaculture Systems | Kenya |
| Spaak Circular Solutions, The Weather Maker | This pilot project uses Nature-based Solutions to improve water retention in agricultural soils through rain and flood analyses, software, engineering and local knowledge. By integrating organic waste management and landscape restoration, the project aims to improve water management and validate approaches for potential large-scale implementation. | Improving water catchment and retainment of agricultural soil | Morocco |
| The Green Intelligence B.V. | The Green Intelligence and local communities will implement sustainable agroforestry and bioengineering practices. A web portal enables farmers to register trees, get care advice and export data for carbon credit registration, connecting them to global carbon financing opportunities. | Smart productive forests | Nepal |
| Hydrologic, World Water Academy, Water Technology, MetService (National Weather Service of New Zealand) | Hydrologic and partners pilot a comprehensive flood forecasting and response service, using advanced data processing and high-performance cloud computing. It aims to improve flood preparedness and response for water managers currently unavailable to them. | Flood forecasting and real-time emergency response | New Zealand |
| WWF Netherlands, Stroming, HKV | This pilot project introduces a Nature-based Solution with wave-damping mats made from local trees, offering a sustainable and cost-effective method for erosion prevention while enhancing river ecosystems. Designed for easy replication and maintenance by local communities, it promotes long-term sustainability and empowerment. | Erosion prevention along river shores | Paraguay |
| HaiaSolutions | By tracking plant transpiration, this system accurately determines the amount and timing of irrigation needed for optimal growth, regardless of the farmer's method. | Long Distance Irrigation Management System | Tunisia |
| Aqua Aid Europe, Innotechma Holding | The project partners are exploring a biodegradable wetting agent that could reduce agricultural water consumption by 39%. After successful lab tests in the Netherlands, they will assess its effectiveness in a controlled setting. | Conserving water in the banana industry | The Philippines |
| CLEAR RIVERS | The project will develop 3 prototypes that improve water quality, restore ecosystems, and enhance biodiversity. The final design will serve as a blueprint for a larger pilot initiative, showcasing how urban waste can become sustainable environmental solutions. | Green Rivers in Can Tho | Vietnam |
| Rainbow Sensing, LocalDevices Technologies, Photrack | This feasibility study examines an innovative, cost-effective solution for river discharge monitoring. The project aims to create a scalable monitoring service with a camera made entirely from affordable components, improving flood and drought forecasting and enabling better decision-making in remote areas where traditional methods are impractical. | Discharge monitoring in remote areas | Zambia |
| TilapAI | TilapAI, a Dutch startup, has developed an innovative AI-powered system that monitors fish health and estimates weight in real-time, enabling early disease detection in fish populations. The system optimises feeding strategies through precise growth data, reducing waste and negative impacts on water quality while improving overall farm efficiency. | AI-powered water culture monitoring system | Zambia |
More information
The Partners for Water programme will open for subsidy applications on 14 February 2025 at 12:00 CET (noon). Please note that the deadline for the mandatory intake interview is 28 February 2025. For more details about the programme, assessment criteria and the official publication in the Government Gazette, see our Partners for Water webpage.
Commissioned by:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Ministry of Economic Affairs
- Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
- Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature
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