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World Water Day: UM helps accelerate change

] - Published on in Environmental issues and social responsibility, Science-Society

Every year since March 22, 1993, World Water Day has raised awareness of the importance of fresh water. In 2023, the focus is onaccelerating change to meet the UN's sixth sustainable development goal: access to water and sanitation for all by 2030. Scientific research plays a major role in this change, and the University of Montpellier, one of the leading international players in the water sciences, intends to play its full part. This World Water Day is an opportunity to (re)highlight the work of our researchers in formats adapted to the general public, and to demonstrate our university's commitment to the water challenge.

On June 2, the University of Montpellier and the Unesco Icireward Center hosted the International Assembly of Hydrological Sciences. On this occasion, Icireward and the UM signed a partnership agreement with the Unesco Chair in "Water, Women and Decision-Making Power" and the Université Felix Houphouet Boigny in Abidjan. In 2023, and just a few weeks after organizing the Water 4 future hackathon, which brought together over 400 international students to tackle the major challenges facing water, we once again stand out in the global water science ecosystem.

An event in Montpellier to echo the United Nations water gathering

As the United Nations gathers in New York from March 22 to 24, 2023 to take stock of the international community's actions on water issues, the UNESCO Icireward Center is organizing two events under the banner: "From New York to Montpellier: all mobilized for sustainable water":  

  • An awareness-raising day for schoolchildren at the Corum to help the younger generations face the challenges ahead.
  • A conference for the general public entitled "Ressources en eau : ça se complique!" (Water resources: it's getting complicated!) to provide keys to understanding the major issues at stake, with an eclectic panel of scientific specialists, elected representatives and managers. It takes place on March 24, 2023 at the Faculty of Law and Political Science.

Water, a major issue regularly featured in UM's science-society magazine

"The management of water resources and aquatic ecosystems, vital for human beings and their activities, is one of the major challenges facing humanity in the 21st century...". It was with these words that Philippe Augé introduced the 16th issue of the science-society magazine LUM "Lumière sur l'eau" (February-May 2022), devoted entirely to water resource management. This theme also features in other issues of the magazine, with articles such as :

"A l'UM, la science" ... of water is also available as a podcast

Water is also discussed in the "A l'UM la science" podcast co-produced with Divergence radio. This program gives our researchers the chance to talk about recent scientific publications. For example, the shows :

Sharing knowledge with The conversation

The University of Montpellier, a partner of The Conversation online media for the general public, enables its researchers to publish for the general public. They enjoy a very wide audience, with an average of over 2 million page views each year. Among them:

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