Research

Today, over 60 experts from research, federal and cantonal administration, the police, politics and hospitals are meeting to discuss the current status and future of wastewater monitoring in Switzerland. The current trends: a seasonal increase for influenza and the RSV virus, stagnating or even declining for coronavirus. We spoke to environmental engineer Christoph Ort, who, together with environmental microbiologist Tim Julian, established the field of wastewater-based epidemiology at Eawag and - in cooperation with external experts - is constantly adapting it.

Professor Ciira wa Maina is the Chair of Data Science Africa, a founding member of the International Computation and AI Network (ICAIN), an initiative to democratise artificial intelligence (AI). In an interview with ETH News, he explains how AI can help African farmers and why Europe benefits from cooperation.

Sustainable, renewable and good for the climate: Wood is the material of the future. But how much of it do we actually have and how do we make best use of it? Researchers from Empa and WSL have now analyzed the material flows of wood in Switzerland in detail – and discovered untapped opportunities.

Brienz has just been evacuated for the second time. The decision is based, among other things, on thousands of simulations that ETH professor Jordan Aaron has produced using a computer model he developed. In an interview with ETH News, he explains why this model was used.

Plants and water can mitigate heat in cities. Using Zurich as a case study, Eawag researchers tested a climate model which indicates how large the effect of green and blue spaces is. The model supports urban planning and shows where improvements would be particularly effective.

To achieve net zero, we need to reduce our CO₂ emissions quickly and efficiently. An EU project involving Empa has selected Zurich as one of three pilot cities in Europe to accurately measure and model their carbon dioxide emissions. The findings will help cities to achieve their climate targets.

WSL researchers took a close look at two older studies on the future of beech. The gloomy forecast of one of them will probably come true.

SLF researchers have used satellite data to optimize their models, which they use to predict how much snow there is and when and where it will melt. This progress is important in order to be able to warn of floods and inundations in good time.