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Lasers, atom traps, krypton. These exciting, isotope hydrology techniques were discussed, together with the importance of big data, during the IAEA’s International Symposium on Isotope Hydrology that took place in Vienna this week. Almost 250 international experts from 78 countries exchanged ideas and knowledge on this wide-reaching application of nuclear technology.

“This IAEA Isotope Hydrology Symposium is a testament to the important role nuclear techniques have played in improving water management for almost 60 years,” said Melissa Denecke, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences.

Understanding water problems

At the Symposium, experts shared examples of how countries, cities and regions are facing varying degrees of water stress, ranging from overexploitation of aquifers and surface waters, to drought and water shortages, to systemic and widespread surface and groundwater pollution.

Although United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 includes access to safe water for everyone by 2030, statistics from the Global Water Institute suggest that 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity as soon as 2030. This is so because, globally, water supplies are being stretched beyond sustainable limits to meet the growing demands from population growth and intensive agriculture.

“Overall, the global trajectory for sustainable and clean water looks rather bleak in many regions, and yet we have also seen positive signs that are a testament to taking serious action on water issues,” Denecke said. She gave the example of the changing attitudes on conserving water in Cape Town, South Africa, after their water crisis, or the long-term reversal of serious nitrate contamination of shallow aquifers in the Netherlands. “These, in the global context, are but small costly steps in the right direction,” she said.

To read more about the work of the IAEA in Isotope Hydrology, read our latest Bulletin on Water.