Our research and outreach activities on Goal 6 have directly contributed to advancing water security at local, regional and national level in a number of countries.
Meanwhile, our citizen science and collaborative approach also helps us to promote water conservation and sustainable management in the wider community.
Improving water systems resilience in the face of climate change
Researchers at ARU have led a programme of international research examining how climate change affects water quality, urban drainage systems and critical infrastructure. Led by Dr Maryam Imani, the projects Water Quality Resilience and Artificial Neural Networks (WQR GIS/WQR-ANN), RESoURce@Brandia, and RV-DSS have worked with partners in the UK, Brazil and India to improve understanding of water-system resilience and vulnerability. The projects developed artificial intelligence-driven tools and decision-support systems that help identify areas vulnerable to climate change, support resilience-informed infrastructure planning and improve the management of water resources and urban drainage systems. The research has contributed to professional training and resilience planning among infrastructure and water-sector stakeholders across multiple countries, helping regional and national governments to advance water security.
Developing sustainable urban drainage solutions
ARU researchers are helping cities adapt to the impacts of climate change through research on Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). Led by Dr Maryam Imani, this work explores how nature-based drainage solutions such as swales, ponds, wetlands and water basins can reduce flood risk, improve water quality and increase urban resilience. Current research is investigating how artificial intelligence and remote sensing technologies can be used to automate the monitoring and maintenance of SuDS infrastructure, helping to improve their long-term performance while reducing operational costs. This work contributes directly to more sustainable management of urban water systems and supports climate adaptation strategies. Future work will include working with local government bodies to set up smart monitoring and in doing so, advance water security in increasingly climate-fragile regions of the UK.
Protecting globally significant chalk stream ecosystems
In 2025, ARU partnered with Cambridge City Council to launch the Greater Cambridge Chalk Stream Project, an interdisciplinary research initiative investigating the environmental pressures affecting some of the region's most important freshwater ecosystems. Chalk streams are globally rare habitats, with an estimated 85% of the world's chalk streams located in the UK. The project brings together experts in ecology, hydrology, water quality and environmental science to study threats including water abstraction, pollution, groundwater depletion, invasive species, riverbank erosion and emerging contaminants such as microplastics and PFAS 'forever chemicals'. Through research on aquatic biodiversity, water quality and ecosystem health, the project aims to generate the evidence needed to support the long-term protection and restoration of Cambridge's chalk streams.
Last updated: October 2026
To request additions, corrections or changes to the information in these pages, please contact: Dr Zareen Bharucha: [email protected]. Please use the subject line ‘ARU SDG’.