Category: News & Updates

Pioneering Report Sets the Course for Nature-positive Engineering in Coastal and Marine Environments

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PIONEERING REPORT SETS THE COURSE FOR NATURE-POSITIVE ENGINEERING IN COASTAL AND MARINE ENVIRONMENTS

A global engineering coalition has issued an urgent call to action to solve the climate crisis through ecology-inclusive engineering frameworks. The Foresight of Nature-Positive Engineering, a new report from Lloyd’s Register Foundation in partnership with the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI), sets out the blueprint for nature-positive engineering (NPE) in ports, offshore renewable energy, and coastal protection. Biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history, with extinction rates 100 to 1,000 times higher than the past ten million years. While crucial to development, the built environment…

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Safeguarding Water Quality: The Technologies Protecting Our Freshwater Future

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Emerging technologies for monitoring water quality

As global demand for freshwater intensifies, the conversation must evolve beyond quantity to address an equally urgent crisis: water quality. More than half of the world’s food production could be jeopardised by freshwater shortages within the next quarter-century. But contamination may prove just as perilous. The UK’s Environment Agency reported 3.6 million hours of raw sewage discharge into rivers in 2024 alone. Poor water quality accelerates ecosystem decline, imperilling biodiversity, public health, and food security. Emerging technologies for monitoring water quality Traditionally, water quality assessment has relied on periodic sampling…

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Uk Introduces Landmark Legislation to Protect World’s Ocean

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UK INTRODUCES LANDMARK LEGISLATION TO PROTECT WORLD’S OCEAN

The UK government is to introduce a landmark bill to protect two-thirds of the world’s ocean, a key source of food and oxygen for people in the UK and globally. In 2023, the UK signed the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement—the High Seas Treaty—among the first countries to do so after playing a leading role in shaping it over more than a decade of negotiations. The bill, announced on 10 September 2025, turns that commitment into action. For the first time, the BBNJ Agreement will create a legal mechanism…

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A HIDDEN OCEAN OF FRESHWATER BENEATH THE ATLANTIC

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In a discovery that could reshape our understanding of global water resources, scientists have confirmed the existence of a massive freshwater aquifer beneath the Atlantic Ocean, stretching from New Jersey to Maine. The find was made this summer during Expedition 501, an international mission drilling o􀃱 Cape Cod. The story dates back to 1976, when researchers searching for oil and gas first noticed traces of fresh water seeping out of seabedcores. For decades, the phenomenon remained a mystery. Now, nearly 50 years later, scientists have returned with advanced technology —…

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Empowering Women in Water Governance: Highlights From Wif4 Special Session

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4th World Irrigation Forum

The 4th World Irrigation Forum (WIF4) in Kuala Lumpur hosted a landmark panel on “Women’s Capacity Development in Participatory Water Governance and Management for Sustainable Development,” bringing together experts and policymakers to deliberate on the critical role of women in irrigation, agriculture, and water governance. Speakers highlighted that although women remain central to sustaining households and agriculture, their participation in water sector decision-making remains disproportionately low. In South Asia, nearly seventy per cent of women are engaged in agriculture, yet they are often denied equitable access to resources. When women…

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Scotland Faces Record Water Scarcity With 17 Catchments at Significant Scarcity

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Scotland’s east coast is facing record pressure on its rivers, with 17 areas now at Significant Scarcity – the highest number since the current version of the National Water Scarcity Plan was introduced. More areas could reach this level in the coming days. While it is difficult to compare directly with previous years because area boundaries have been refined over time, this year stands out for the scale and duration of low rivers flows. In the Lower Spey, for example, the 2025 season has seen the highest number of low-flow…

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Stony Brook University Professor Patents Groundbreaking Water Quality Sensor

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A pioneering innovation from Stony Brook University promises to transform water quality monitoring. Associate Professor Qingzhi Zhu has been awarded a patent for an advanced sensor system capable of simultaneously detecting nitrate/nitrite and ammonium in real time — a major breakthrough for environmental monitoring. This technology can revolutionise wastewater treatment and septic system monitoring, offering immediate insights into water quality and enabling faster response to contamination events. A New Era of Real-Time Nutrient Monitoring Nitrogen pollution is one of the most persistent water quality challenges in the United States. Traditional…

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Hyundai E&c Secures $3.16 Billion Seawater Treatment Project in Iraq

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Hyundai Engineering & Construction (Hyundai E&C) has signed a major contract worth $3.16 billion (4.3 trillion won) for the construction of a large-scale seawater treatment plant in Iraq, marking another milestone in the company’s decades-long engagement with the country. The agreement for the Water Injection Project (WIP) was signed on September 14 in Baghdad, with key dignitaries in attendance, including Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani, Hyundai E&C Plant Business Division Head Ryu Sung-an, and Total Energies CEO Patrick Pouyanné. Under the project, Hyundai E&C…

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Aws to Build Hong Kong’ First Data Centre Using Recycled Water

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Amazon Web Services (AWS) has unveiled plans to establish Hong Kong’s first data centre cooled with recycled water, a pioneering move aimed at conserving the city’s potable water resources. The new facility, located in Hong Kong’s North District, will source recycled water from a government-operated reclamation plant rather than relying on fresh water for cooling. Once fully operational, the system is expected to save enough fresh water to meet the daily needs of around 3,000 residents. The initiative is the result of a collaboration between AWS and the Government of…

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Haryana Sets Target to Save 6 Lakh Crore Litres of Water by 2027

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Haryana is close to meeting its water conservation targets for 2023-25 and has now unveiled an ambitious plan for the next two years, aiming to save 6 lakh crore litres of water by 2027. Officials said on Friday that achieving this goal would address nearly half of the state’s current water deficit, estimated at 12 lakh crore litres. The state’s new Integrated Water Resources Action Plan (IWRAP) 2025-27 will rely on a mix of regulatory measures and targeted interventions. Unlike the previous phase (IWRAP 2023-25), the new plan places stronger…

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