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 events concerning water resources and extreme weather events, in France and elsewhere in the world, have underlined the crucial importance and universality of water-related issues.

Water is present in all sectors of human life and activity: industry, agriculture, energy, leisure, etc. It is an ever-present part of our daily lives.

Climate change, which is leading to ever-increasing water stress in many parts of the world, population growth and rapid, sometimes out-of-control urbanization, are creating profound upheavals and often challenging existing water resource management methods.

In a world in transition, faced with numerous challenges in terms of both resource quantity and quality, the issue of water is clearly one that will only grow in importance in the years and decades to come, potentially generating additional tensions and conflicts on all scales across the planet.

As a result, a comprehensive, shared approach to the subject is now an imperative. It must address all issues relating to water resources, their evolution, accessibility and quality, the constraints on their use, the major challenges to be met (agriculture, contamination, sanitation, appropriate infrastructures, etc.), as well as existing avenues for improvement and innovation (reuse of wastewater, storage, etc.), etc. Not forgetting the question of resource sharing and the need to regenerate multi-stakeholder dialogue to best address it.

In order to meet this ambitious but inescapable objective, the " Water in a world in transition " Round Table will seek to make a contribution based on the need for a clear-sighted assessment, which obliges us collectively to define adaptations, changes and innovations commensurate with the challenges we face. 

Opening by Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier

In the presence of :

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