This past May 8, the national final of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Madrid, an outstanding competition that has brought together talented young people from all over the country to present their research projects on water and sustainability. Organized by the Aquae Foundation, this competition, known as the Junior Nobel Prize for Water, offers students between 16 and 21 years old a platform to address current challenges around water and the environment.

The jury, led by the professor of Environmental Engineering at the UPC and president of ASERSA, Rafael Mujeriego, was made up of experts from the water and research sector. Along with him, Amelia Pérez Zabaleta, vice-rector of Economics at the UNED and director of the Aquae Chair in Water Economics, Jaime Pérez, head of the Scientific Culture Area of the CSIC, Marina Arnaldos, director of CETAQUA, and Edurne Arkotxa, were part of the jury. geography and environmental educator at the School of Water.

This year, the submitted works have addressed a variety of topics related to water and sustainability. The winning project has been «Ethology of the loggerhead sea turtle: its life cycle in relation to marine plastic pollution», carried out by Marina Navarro of the Carles Vallbona Institute (Barcelona), analyzes the interaction of loggerhead turtles with plastics and their impact on the marine environment, with the aim of raising awareness about plastic pollution in marine ecosystems and proposing dissemination strategies. .

Another notable project has been he «Study of the effectiveness of vegetation cover in water retention in population centers», carried out by Arturo Palomino and Diego Gutierrez from IES Consaburum (Toledo). This study investigates soil texture and its impact on water retention to address flooding problems in population centers. The team has used technologies such as Arduino and humidity sensors to measure the water retention capacity of different plant species, proposing solutions for sustainable urban planning and water resources management.

Finally, the work «Analysis of the influence of bleach, alcohol, milk and dry leaf on the development of the growth of protocyst microorganisms in stagnant water», prepared by Sergi Lópes and Pol Mayans from the Vedruna Immaculada School (Barcelona), has also stood out in the competition. This work focuses on the identification of microorganisms in stagnant water and their relationship when they come into contact with certain substances. The team has analyzed environmental factors that influence the growth of microorganisms, with the aim of improving water management and public health in urban and rural environments.

After a rigorous evaluation process, the "Loggerhead Turtle Ethology" project has been selected as the winner of the competition, standing out for its relevance in disseminating and raising awareness of environmental conservation. The winner, Marina Navarro, will have the opportunity to represent Spain in the International Final of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Stockholm. Congratulations to all participants for their impressive contributions!