Fundación Aquae centres 2026 strategy on water sustainability through ecosystem recovery and industrial water cycle efficiency
- Editorial Team SDG6
- 22 hours ago
- 2 min read
Fundación Aquae has set out a 2026 strategy focused on water sustainability, placing ecosystem recovery and the optimisation of the industrial water cycle at its core. The foundation says its approach is built around reforestation and mitigation, soil recovery, circular economy measures for wastewater, and programmes that link innovation with education and community access to safe water. It frames the work around protecting water systems while supporting fair sustainability, with a single reference to the sustainable development goals.
Reforestation programme targets soil and water cycle resilience
A central pillar of the strategy is Sembrando Oxígeno, the foundation’s reforestation and mitigation initiative. The foundation describes soil recovery as vital to maintaining the water cycle and preventing desertification, particularly in areas affected by fires and soil degradation.
The project has been running since 2015 and is presented as the foundation’s flagship response to forest loss. Alongside restoring land cover, the plantations are designed to absorb carbon dioxide, with one recent project estimating the absorption of 300 tonnes of CO2 over 30 years.
Digital traceability aims to show progress tree by tree
Fundación Aquae says it is using georeferencing tools and QR codes to provide digital traceability for donors and collaborators. The system is intended to allow real-time tracking of the progress of each tree planted through Sembrando Oxígeno.
The foundation has not provided further details in the source text on where these plantations are located or how progress is independently verified, but it positions the approach as a way to link funding and monitoring more directly.
Wastewater reuse and industrial treatment tied to agriculture
The foundation’s 2025 vision also includes sustainable agriculture and circular economy measures, with a focus on wastewater reuse. It promotes the transformation of treatment plants into biofactories, aiming to recover nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus for agricultural use.
It argues that improving industrial wastewater treatment can prevent aquifer contamination, helping ensure that water returned to the environment is in optimal condition for safe agricultural use. The source text does not specify which industrial sectors are targeted or the scale of existing projects.
Education and community projects connect research with access to safe water
On innovation and education, Fundación Aquae is organising the Spanish edition of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize for 2025, encouraging young researchers to develop new proposals for water management.
It also points to collaborations linked to Amazon preservation, describing projects intended to provide safe water infrastructure for vulnerable communities. The foundation connects this work to both human health and the protection of forests, referring to the Amazon as the planet’s “forest lungs” in its own materials.
Practical implications for policy and industry are clear in the foundation’s emphasis on industrial wastewater treatment and nutrient recovery, both of which can shape how companies manage water use, discharge standards and resource efficiency in agriculture. For communities, the stated priority is improved access to safe water infrastructure, though the source text does not set out timelines or delivery partners.
