Today, we're excited to announce three new water projects in Aragon, Spain, where the AWS Europe (Spain) Region is located. The projects, totaling €17.2 million of investment, will reduce flood risk for 700,000 residents in the region of Zaragoza, modernise critical infrastructure, and optimise agricultural water use through artificial intelligence (AI).
These new projects include an AI cloud-powered, early-warning system to prevent flooding, a project to empower local farmers with AI technology to help maximise crop yields while reducing their water footprint; and infrastructure improvements to modernise a crucial water supply for the city of Huesca. The projects aim to help tackle water scarcity, improve water infrastructure, and protect communities by reducing flood risk.
Amazon will now support five water projects in Aragon, with these new initiatives joining the two water projects already underway in the region since 2023. The first, a collaboration with FIDO Tech, a cloud-based water leak detection company, has already helped reduce water loss in Villanueva de Gállego. The second project, with Mediodes, is supplying 864 million liters of clean water annually to the community in Pina de Ebro.
Amazon supports projects in our data centre communities that improve water availability and quality by restoring water sources, deploying smart water technology, and bringing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services to water-stressed areas. These projects will help AWS make progress toward its commitment to be water positive by 2030, which means we will return more water to our communities and the environment than we use in our data centre operations.
Kevin Miller, vice president of Global Data Centres at AWS, explains: "Water scarcity is a critical global issue, and we are committed to doing our part to help solve this challenge. The new water projects in Aragon are an example of how AWS is not merely operating here, but we're also partnering with local municipalities and organisations to build a better future.”
Reducing flood risk and protecting 700,000 residents in Zaragoza with AI
Zaragoza faced devastating floods in 2023. According to Zaragoza City Municipality, the floods caused €125 million in infrastructure damage. Flooding damaged the high-speed rail to Madrid and Barcelona, and submerged the major ring road under two meters of floodwater.
To address this, Amazon and its project partners are using advanced cloud computing technologies such as AI and Internet of Things (IoT) to work with the Zaragoza City Municipality on innovative flood management and water infrastructure improvements which will benefit 700,000 residents. First, the city will deploy an intelligent AWS cloud-based warning system that combines real-time data collection with advanced sensor networks, IoT services, and AI-powered analysis to transform disaster response capabilities. The platform will continuously monitor weather conditions and water flow, enabling proactive infrastructure maintenance, predictive flood risk assessment, and automated early warning to coordinate emergency response efforts.
Additionally, Zaragoza City Municipality will build physical flood alleviation infrastructure at 'Barranco de la Muerte', a major source of the 2023 flooding. The new infrastructure will divert floodwaters to storage reservoirs, reducing downstream flash flooding risks. Stored water will later be treated and returned to natural waterways.
"By harnessing the power of real-time data and AI analysis, we're not just mitigating flood risks – we're transforming Zaragoza into a more resilient city and setting a new standard for smart city solutions in the face of extreme weather events," said Natalia Chueca, mayor of Zaragoza. “AWS's innovative technology will revolutionise Zaragoza's water management and flood prevention capabilities. Its expertise will enable a level of protection for our citizens that was previously unimaginable.”
Powering Aragon’s farming revolution: Maximising crops, minimising water use
Agriculture uses over 90% of the total water in the Ebro basin, the longest river across Spain at 933 kilometers. To help improve agricultural irrigation efficiency, Amazon is working with Agrow, an AI cloud-based agriculture solution that uses AWS technologies to offer farmers data insights that help them maximise crop yields while reducing their water footprint.
These recommendations, based on weather data, soil typology, and crop type, among other parameters, guide farmers on where, when, and how much to irrigate their crops. The project addresses water scarcity, empowers local farmers to modernise their fields, and improves water usage efficiency, all through cloud technology. An estimated 430 farmers in El Burgo de Ebro and the Villanueva de Gállego region will benefit from this initiative.
"We are proud to work with AWS to boost the agricultural revolution in Aragon, helping farmers to reduce their water footprint while maintaining productive and profitable operations," said Antonella Maggioni, CEO of Agrow.
Revitalising Huesca's lifeline: Modernising water infrastructure for a resilient future
For Huesca's 56,000 residents, the aging San Julian de Banzo pipeline is a crucial water supply. But, due to age and the abundance of sediment in the water, the pipeline has deteriorated, limiting its flow capacity. The Huesca City Municipality will replace a section of this pipeline with modern materials and implement efficient routing to a reservoir, significantly enhancing system reliability and operational capacity, and increasing sturdiness in Huesca's water infrastructure.
"The renovation of the San Julian de Banzo pipeline will allow us to recover the best quality water supply source we have. We will improve the service and guarantee an efficient and resilient supply system for the city," said Lorena Orduna, mayor of Huesca. "The collaboration with AWS has been crucial in turning this vital project into reality, ensuring that Huesca continues to prosper and grow sustainably, while the quality of life of citizens improves," she added.
To help support Amazon’s aim to be a good water steward everywhere it operates, and make progress toward its water positive goal by 2030, we will continue to support water replenishment projects for the community and the environment. More than 7 billion litres of water will be returned each year to local communities through Amazon's water replenishment efforts and this is just the beginning. More information about Amazon’s water-positive commitment can be found on Amazon’s Water Stewardship website.
