AGH University of Krakow, University of Agriculture in Krakow, and Cracow University of Technology collaborate for rational water resource management 

"The integration of the scientific community in Krakow to address one of the most significant problems of the 21st century, which is access to water resources, is our common success. Expert groups from each university will work on water management issues. For many years, these groups have conducted research, analysis, and drawn conclusions on how to manage this valuable resource in a sustainable manner. The interdisciplinary nature of the Centre will undoubtedly bring results not only at the local level but also on a national scale." 

"For 75 years, regardless of the prevailing trends, the Cracow University of Technology has been dealing with quantitative and qualitative aspects of water. We have educated subsequent generations of specialists prepared to comprehensively manage water, which, in the face of climate extremes, becomes a crucial factor in human survival," says Professor Andrzej Szarata, Rector of the Cracow University of Technology. "In the modern world, there is no single entity specialising in all areas of a given issue. Hence, the idea to combine the forces of Krakow's universities and create a joint research centre with the strongest scientific potential in the broad field of water engineering and management in Poland." 

"Our goal was to create a strong inter-university unit capable of quickly assigning a group of experts to emerging topics, who will look at water comprehensively – from its abstraction to processing, examination, and supply – regardless of the size of the unit that needs the water," explains Professor Stanisław Rybicki. "The AGH University has a well-developed chemical analytics, and in Polish science the University of Agriculture is a recognised authority in the field of water supply for smaller settlement units. The Cracow University of Technology, in cooperation with all water supply companies in Poland, has a knowledge base in technological, water supply and water treatment areas, as well as experience in solving daily real problems related to objects and devices for water production, processing, or pumping." 

"It is widely known that Poland is among the countries threatened by water scarcity. Annually, there is an average of around 1,600 m3 of water per capita, while the European average is nearly three times higher (4,500 m3). With such low resources, during droughts, this indicator decreases to values below 1,000 m3, which is already a dramatic situation, especially for the food production sector. A significant problem is very low retention. In our country, the total volume of water stored in retention reservoirs accounts for only 6% of the volume of the average annual river run-off. In these conditions, we must be aware of the threat of water shortages in our homes. Therefore, we are establishing the Inter-university Research Centre WODA to undertake research challenges related to key aspects of water scarcity, which are not the domain of a single scientific discipline, but require multiple interdisciplinary approaches. As representatives of agricultural sciences, we know the role in the hydrological cycle of groundwater and vegetation that draws from it. We understand how root systems of trees and other plants shape the water retention capacities of soils, making them a kind of water reservoir. We are familiar with the challenges of water deficits in rural areas, water use, treatment, and reuse technologies. And yet, these are only a small part of the issues that fit into the problem area requiring comprehensive solutions."