Philippe visits the University of São Paulo

Between October 15–17, 2025, Philippe Van Cappellen, together with David Rudolph, Andrea Brookfield, and Roy Brouwer, visited the University of São Paulo (USP) as part of the SACRE Project: Integrated Water Solutions for Resilient Cities.

During the visit, the team toured SACRE’s Living City Laboratory in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, examining managed aquifer recharge study sites, monitoring wells in a contaminated urban aquifer, a production well in the transboundary and fossil Guarani Aquifer System, and a public water intake reservoir. A joint workshop at USP’s Institute of Geosciences brought together researchers and students from both institutions to discuss interdisciplinary challenges and strengthen collaboration across hydrogeology, engineering, economics, and water governance.

SACRE is a six-year international partnership led by USP’s Groundwater Research Center (CEPAS) and funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), with the University of Waterloo as a key international partner. The project aims to develop integrated, nature-based, and technical solutions to enhance water security and resilience in drought-prone urban regions.

As the collaboration between the two institutions deepens, three Brazilian PhD students working within SACRE have recently joined the University of Waterloo as International Visiting Graduate Students: Fernanda Barreto (supervised by Philippe Van Cappellen), Elizabeth Naranjo, and Fernando Rörig.

This partnership continues to strengthen international ties between Waterloo and USP while advancing innovative, cross-disciplinary approaches to global water (in)security. You can learn more about the project and visit using this link.