CORDIS results pack on water innovation in India

Globally, 2.1 billion people live without access to safe water. Among them are 160 million people worldwide who collect their drinking water directly from surface water sources, where they are exposed to pollutants such as sewage, industrial waste waters, pollution and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) such as genetic material, pharmaceutical residue and synthetic hormones. This issue is particularly prominent in water-stressed areas such as India. Here, 63 million people do not have access to clean drinking water, with shortages also affecting irrigation and industrial use. There is an acute need for effective solutions to increase access to safe water and treat waste water for recycling, to prevent outbreaks of waterborne illness such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid. In addition, clean, reliable water supplies are essential to serve the needs of the population and provide growth and prosperity. This Results Pack casts a spotlight on the groundbreaking work carried out by projects funded under a pioneering collaboration between the EU and India’s Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Biotechnology within the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology. All projects are dealing with environmental challenges and focus notably on water management and treatment.