Water in a world in transition

An event organized by the University of Montpellier and its UNESCO Icireward International Center as part of the National Day of Ecological Transition for Sustainable Development in Higher Education and Research.

Recent news about water resources and extreme weather events in France and elsewhere around the world sharply highlights the crucial importance of water-related issues and their universality.

Water is present in all areas of human life and activity: industry, agriculture, energy, leisure, etc. It is part of our daily lives at all times.

Climate change, which is leading to increasingly severe water stress in many parts of the world, population growth, and rapid and sometimes uncontrolled urbanization are causing profound upheaval and often undermining existing water resource management practices.

Thus, in a world in transition that faces many challenges, both in terms of the quantity and quality of resources, the issue of water is clearly a subject whose importance will only grow in the coming years and decades, potentially generating additional tensions or conflicts on all scales across the planet.

As a result, it is now imperative to engage in a comprehensive and shared reflection on this issue. This must address all issues related to water resources, including their evolution, accessibility, quality, constraints on their use, major challenges (agriculture, contamination, sanitation, appropriate infrastructure, etc.), as well as existing avenues for improvement and innovation (reuse of wastewater, storage, etc.). Not to mention the issue of resource sharing and the need to regenerate multi-stakeholder dialogue in order to address it in the best possible way.

It is in order to meet this ambitious but essential objective that the Round Table "Water in a changing world" will seek to contribute to the need for a clear-eyed assessment that compels us collectively to define adaptations, changes, and innovations commensurate with the challenges we face. 

Opening remarks by Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier

In the presence of:

• Julien Baroni, co-founder of DV2E;
• Jean-François Blanchet, Chief Executive Officer of BRL;
• Hélène Fenet, Professor at the University of Montpellier;
• Eric Servat, Professor at the University of Montpellier, Director of the UNESCO Icireward International Center and OSU-OREME;
• Régis Ingouf, Head of the Water, Aquatic Environments, and Risks Department, Ecological and Energy Transition Directorate, Occitanie Region;
• Patricia Licznar, lecturer at the University of Montpellier;
• Noé de Bonnaventure, Veolia, Director of the Hérault Region, Veolia Water.