How our researchers study and protect marine and freshwater life, how we keep pollution out of rivers, and how students and communities help look after water.
UPES report on Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, 2025–26.
Open 14.1 Research on its own page
UPES researchers study and protect aquatic life, from dugongs and river dolphins to the plankton that shape the Arabian Sea, and develop ways to keep plastics and other pollutants out of water.
The figures below cover UPES research publications on oceans, rivers, lakes and water quality from 2021 to 2025 (source: Scopus, October 2026).
Number of 2021–2025 papers on each theme (a paper can appear under more than one).
| Theme | Papers |
|---|---|
| Coasts, oceans and marine hazards | 65 |
| Water quality, treatment and monitoring | 55 |
| Microplastics and plastic pollution | 43 |
| Aquatic life, algae and fisheries | 39 |
| Rivers, lakes and wetlands | 24 |
| Climate change and the water cycle | 14 |
The full list of 182 publications since 2007, with links, is on the life-below-water research publications page (also available as a spreadsheet).
Sources and further reading
Open 14.2 Preventing pollution on its own page
UPES treats and reuses its wastewater and cuts plastic so that less pollution reaches rivers and, eventually, the sea.
The UPES Energy, Environment & Sustainability Policy (2025) commits the university to:
The policy also provides for regular monitoring of resource use and environmental performance, with periodic reporting.
Open 14.3 Rivers and communities on its own page
UPES students clean rivers, teach communities to save water and raise awareness of ocean health.
See also: Srijan internship with MARS – Centre for Sustainable Community Development in Events and activities.
See also: 5th International Forum on Asian Water Environment Technology (IFAWET-5) in Events and activities.
See also: World Maritime Day 2024 in Events and activities.
Open 14.4 Education on its own page
UPES teaches students the science and law that underpin the protection of aquatic ecosystems.
See also: Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and Maritime SkillsPlus delegation, Seminar on the future of trade, energy and maritime technology in Events and activities.
Sources and further reading
Open Events and activities on its own page
5 events from UPES schools, departments and programmes support this goal. Each event has its own report with a description, photograph and, where one exists, a link to the original post.
On 20 March 2025, UPES hosted delegates from the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, London, and the Maritime SkillsPlus curriculum to strengthen education in maritime, logistics, aviation, oil, gas and energy.
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 17.
Event report → · Original post
Featured in: Degrees.
Experts discussed AI-driven agritech and supply chains, energy security and deep-sea exploration, and autonomous shipping and maritime technology.
This event also supports SDG 7 and SDG 9.
Event report → · Original post
Featured in: Degrees.
On 26 September 2024, the School of Law marked World Maritime Day under the theme “Navigating the Future: Safety First”, with Capt. Pankaj Bahukhandi, Chief Mariner, as keynote speaker.
This event also supports SDG 16.
Event report → · Original post
Featured in: Save the Oceans.
From 6 to 8 August 2025, UPES hosted IFAWET-5 in Dehradun with the University of Tokyo, Tecnológico de Monterrey, the National Institute of Hydrology and IIT Roorkee, with participants from 12 countries.
This event also supports SDG 6 and SDG 17.
Event report → · Original post
Featured in: A forum on Asian water.
An eight-week Srijan internship with MARS on wildlife conservation, marine life, environmental concerns and community-level issues.
This event also supports SDG 15.
Event report → · Original post
Featured in: Interning for marine conservation.
These documents support the evidence in this report.
Open All sources on its own page
Every website and document used in this report, and the sections it supports. Each initiative and event also has its own page, linked from its name in the report.
| Source | Type | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| UPES SDG 14 report | 14.1 Research for oceans, rivers and lakes 14.2 Keeping pollution out of the water 14.3 Rivers, communities and awareness 14.4 Learning about water and the sea | |
| UPES R&D Newsletter, July–December 2025 | 14.1 Research for oceans, rivers and lakes | |
| Massive outbreaks of Noctiluca scintillans blooms in the Arabian Sea | Research paper | 14.1 Research for oceans, rivers and lakes |
| UPES researcher leads first-of-its-kind wastewater reclamation project | Website | 14.1 Research for oceans, rivers and lakes |
| UPES NSS observes Swachhta Pakhwara | News article | 14.2 Keeping pollution out of the water 14.3 Rivers, communities and awareness |
| Srijan Social Internship and GS3 | Website | 14.3 Rivers, communities and awareness |
| International Conference on Environmental Sustainability and Energy Laws | Website | 14.4 Learning about water and the sea |
| UPES life-below-water research publications: full list | Publication list | 14.1 Research |
| UPES Energy, Environment & Sustainability Policy, 2025 | 14.2 Keeping pollution out of the water | |
| Srijan internship with MARS | LinkedIn post | 14.3 Rivers, communities and awareness |
| IFAWET-5 at UPES | LinkedIn post | 14.3 Rivers, communities and awareness |
