The AguaSociAL joint exchange programme aims to strengthen research cooperation and knowledge sharing between Brazil and Europe within the water related sciences. This venture will provide on-site training related to the rationale and benefits of water treatment techniques and technologies combined with social innovation approaches. AguaSociAL will seek to investigate and support community-driven development techniques and technologies for improving access to Water. This approach responds to the Europe 2020 Strategy of ‘promoting social innovation for the most vulnerable populations, with a particular emphasis on the provision of innovative education and training”, AguaSociAL will facilitate R&D activities that focus on the Amazonian Region, and will explore a range of issues, including: environmental protection; socio-economic factors and sustainable development, with a specific emphasis on water treatment and social innovations by local communities (especially vulnerable ones). Research will be undertaken to identify existing and potential water treatment, reuse, recycling and sanitation technologies that are socially accepted and community owned. Such approach should enable the linkage of scientific and traditional local knowledge, while simultaneously supporting a co-learning process towards sustainable development. To this end, a joint-thread of research/training activities will be set up for researchers from Brazil (States of Pará & Amazonas) participating to Training activities in EU and EU researchers seconded to Brazil within Case Study Workshops, with short exchanges (1 month) for senior and longer exchanges (2-3 months) for junior investigators, for a total of about 150 person months within 3 a year’s period. Scientific achievements are reached through inter-connected trainings and field workshops in interaction with social actors, for the acquisition of new approaches to water treatment combined with social technologies, in a multi-disciplinary approach