The Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag, German acronym for Eidgenössische Anstalt für Wasserversorgung, Abwasserreinigung und Gewässerschutz) is a Swiss water research institute and an internationally networked institution. As part of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain, it is an institution of the Federal Department of Home Affairs of the Swiss Confederation. The Eawag is based in Dübendorf near Zurich and Kastanienbaum near Lucerne.After its foundation in 1936 it concentrated on wastewater treatment and drinking water supplies. From these beginnings it has expanded into a multidisciplinary research institute with a focus on three primary research areas: water as a foundation of health and well-being, water as an essential factor in the functioning of our ecological systems, and strategies for the mitigation of water use conflicts. Nowadays, with a staff of over 500 employees, Eawag is actively engaged in research, teaching and consulting in all areas pertaining to water. Eawag's overall aim is to ensure the sustainable use of water resources and infrastructure and to harmonize the ecological, economic and social interests associated with bodies of water. In doing so, the Eawag plays an important role in bridging research and practice..
Due to growing resource demands in sustainability transitions, multi-system interactions (MSI) increasingly extend into extreme environments, such as the deep sea, outer space, and the underground, which harbour vast but largely untapped resource reservoirs. Access to these resources drives new interactions among systems, yet MSI research has paid limited attention to how the pursuit of these resources transforms sectoral dynamics and redefines system boundaries. We address this gap conceptually and empirically. Conceptually, we develop a resource typology distinguishing place-bound from transportable and renewable from finite resources. We argue that these material properties shape whether interactions between systems tend towards symbiosis or competition. Empirically, we investigate the underground as one such environment using 25 expert interviews, Social Network Analysis, and two in-depth case studies of interactions among the energy, mobility, water, and carbon management systems in Switzerland. Our findings show that underground resources are more often associated with conflict than synergy, largely due to finite availability and regulatory constraints. Groundwater emerges as the most conflict-prone resource in the network, given its strict regulatory protection, whereas transportation infrastructure and pipelines display the greatest potential for collaboration. The case studies further illustrate how regulatory uncertainty constrains symbiotic arrangements despite technical feasibility for resource flows. System entanglers attempt to bridge boundaries and enable collaboration but face institutional barriers that hinder system couplings. Our approach of combining network analysis with case studies provides a practical tool for identifying intervention points for symbiosis in complex multi-system contexts, offering insights for integrated resource governance and sustainable management.
Early-career researchers (ECRs) play a vital role in advancing macrophyte research, bringing fresh perspectives, collaborative skills, and innovative methods to the field. Across marine and freshwater realms, macrophytes function as ecosystem engineers and key indicators of ecosystem health, yet they are declining due to a plethora of threats. As those who will shape the future of the field, ECRs are well-positioned to identify existing knowledge gaps and future priorities for the field in macrophyte research in a creative, integrative, and sustainable manner (both for the ecosystems and the ECRs themselves). Here, we present a unified perspective informed by the results of an international survey of 147 ECRs, capturing how ECRs see the field of macrophyte research at present and envision its future, including priorities for the field and how to overcome systemic barriers that ECRs face. Across realms and regions, ECRs currently use classical methods (e.g., field work, statistics) to study a wide range of topics including biodiversity, biotic interactions, and anthropogenic impacts. Regardless of research topic, ECRs are aware that technological advances are reshaping how research is conducted but acknowledge that they are not a silver bullet. Such advances should be harnessed to complement classical approaches, particularly taxonomy and field work. However, ECRs face structural barriers, including job insecurity and funding constraints, that disproportionately impact researchers in resource-limited regions within an already underrepresented field. Addressing these barriers and strengthening science-society connections is essential for the field’s future, and requires collaborative, interdisciplinary, and innovative research grounded in a strong ecological foundation.
Abstract Ecosystem structure is driven by connectivity via resource flows, ecosystem (patch) size, and disturbance regimes. However, while resource flows can interact with ecosystem size to affect ecosystem structure, we lack evidence on whether and how these two variables further interact with disturbance. Here, we empirically test how ecosystem size and disturbance jointly mediate the effects of connectivity via resource flows. We conducted a highly replicated microcosm experiment with two‐patch autotrophic‐heterotrophic meta‐ecosystems, manipulating resource flows (connected/unconnected), patch size (6.43, 9, 15, 45 mL), and disturbance (fixed magnitude or relative to patch size) to study their effects on biomass density across patches as a meta‐ecosystem structure. Our results showed an interaction between resource flows, patch size, and disturbance. When disturbance was fixed, resource flows increased meta‐ecosystem biomass density from intermediate‐small sizes upward (≥9 mL). In contrast, when disturbance was relative to ecosystem size, the positive effects of resource flows only occurred from intermediate‐large sizes upward (≥15 mL). Our results suggest that to understand the interactive effects of ecosystem size and resource flows on ecosystem structure, we might have to consider how disturbance covaries with ecosystem size.
Given increasing migration and cultural diversification in urban contexts, understanding how people with different cultural backgrounds use and perceive urban green areas is relevant for inclusive planning. This exploratory, context-specific study examines how park users categorized as Swiss and non-Swiss report motivations, emotions, and ecological preferences in four public parks in Zurich, Switzerland. Based on 100 face-to-face go-along interviews, the study applies a mixed-methods design combining descriptive quantitative summaries with qualitative insights. Findings show shared appreciation for health-related benefits across both groups, alongside patterns of variation in reported motivations, emotional experiences, and preferences for vegetation structure. These patterns are discussed descriptively in relation to a simple Swiss vs. non-Swiss cultural background. The article contributes to urban studies by applying a three-dimensional framework—motivational, emotional, and ecological—that considers vegetation characteristics alongside reported user experiences, offering context-specific insights into culturally differentiated park use in Zurich.
Reducing nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from wastewater treatment plants is essential for achieving the sector's net-zero goals by 2050. Yet the complexity of operating full-scale wastewater treatment obscures our understanding of the mechanisms behind N₂O formation and hence, the development of targeted mitigation strategies. Three main pathways are known to contribute to net N₂O emissions, but their relative and absolute importance shifts over time and is controlled by the interplay of multiple parameters. To date, attempts to experimentally disentangle these pathways under conditions representative of full-scale systems have been unsuccessful. This study developed and validated a novel methodology to distinguish major N₂O production pathways. The methodology was implemented over one year of operation in two parallel pilot reactors treating dynamically varying municipal wastewater directly extracted from an actual sewer system, thereby closely replicating full-scale conditions. Online isotope analysis was used to validate pathway separation. Stable isotopes showed that the N₂O production by the hydroxylamine pathway is negligible under all studied conditions. Nitrifier denitrification was successfully isolated from heterotrophic denitrification by controlling the concentration of ammonium, nitrite, and dissolved oxygen and became more active at lower dissolved oxygen concentrations. Lower dissolved oxygen, higher organic carbon availability, and lower pH increased N₂O production by heterotrophic denitrification during aeration. These new insights provide a systematic framework for understanding N2O dynamics and support the development of mitigation strategies at full-scale.
