The Water Observatory is the first interdisciplinary think tank on water in Spain. It was created in 1998 and specialises in analysing water-related issues of national and global importance. It is known for its scientific rigour, combining natural science with the economy and social science, with the explicit objective of offering ideas and providing important data for decision-making.  The Water Observatory´s mission is to offer innovative solutions to water management problems.

“The WA wants to be an INNOVATIVE Think-tank

on matters related directly to  WATER POLICY”.

The Foundation has been working on diverse water aspects for ten years. It began with the Groundwater Project (1998-2003), which is an international reference for semi-arid countries. This project was followed by seminars organised in Santander: Water Crisis: myth or reality?, in 2004; and Water and Ethics, held in 2007.

With the collaboration of Complutense University and, in particular, the team led by Professor Ramón Llamas Madurga, to which Dr. Elena López-Gunn and researcher Dr. Lucia de Stefano belong. The Observatory has a key venue for its joint action work with the UPM, the team led by the Observatory´s sub-director Professor Alberto Garrido and researcher Dr. Barbara Willaarts.

The first issue addressed by the Observatory was Spain´s water footprint, with the aim of obtaining practical results that enable more efficient use of water resources, taking into account processes of global change and Spain´s trade relations with the European Union and rest of the world.