GeoZS has received significant international recognition—its hydrogeological laboratory has been accepted into the IAEA network of laboratories for water analysis, known as GloWAL (English:. Global Water Analysis Laboratory Network).

Since 2015, the Groundwater – Hydrogeology Department’s laboratory has been conducting analyses of the isotopic composition of oxygen and hydrogen (δ²H, δ¹⁸O) in water molecules. Funding from ARIS enabled the purchase of a Picarro L2130-I laser isotope analyzer, which remains the only one of its kind in Slovenia. The scope of work has expanded since then: the number of samples analyzed has increased from 407 in 2018 to 1,250 in 2024.

Over the years, we have also built up our expertise with the help of colleagues from Europe and beyond. Since 2020, we have been actively participating in projects of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and in 2024, we expressed interest in joining the then-emerging network of global water analysis laboratories of the International Atomic Energy Agency, known as GloWAL (. Global Water Analysis Laboratory Network). The GloWAL network enables laboratories around the world to collaborate and share knowledge at all stages of development: from strengthening equipment capacity to providing support for staff training. The network’s goal is to help each laboratory reach its full potential while enabling independent data collection in developing countries, reduce technical gaps between developed and developing countries, support the conduct of comparative analyses, and pool financial investments and scientific innovations in the field of water analysis with the aim of more sustainable water resource management. Our laboratory, led by Katja Koren Pepelnik, has been accepted into the GloWAL network with the status of a Growth Node. This means we can conduct and receive training for our laboratory staff and continue to develop our capabilities with new, advanced equipment.

In 2026, we will receive a new laser isotope analyzer from the IAEA. Our acceptance into the GloWAL network is an important recognition of our laboratory’s work to date and an excellent opportunity for the further development of hydrogeological research in Slovenia.

More information about the GloWAL network is available here.