“Water in a changing world,” the next round table discussion at the University of Montpellier!

[Press release] - Published on November 30, 2023 in Press Room

On Wednesday, December 6, 2023, the University of Montpellier is organizing a round table discussion on "water in a world in transition," moderated by Olivier Biscaye, editor-in-chief of Midi Libre. This round table discussion is part of the "National Day of Ecological Transition for Sustainable Development in Higher Education and Research" organized at the University of Montpellier by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.

This round table discussion will take place at 6 p.m. in the Charles Flahault amphitheater at the University of Montpellier's Institute of Botany, with Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, Jacques Mercier, Vice President Research the University of Montpellier, and Eric Servat, Director of the UNESCO International Center ICIREWARD, in attendance.

Registration required

The round table in a nutshell

Recent news about water resources and extreme weather events in France and elsewhere in 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 regions of the world, population growth, and rapid and sometimes uncontrolled urbanization are causing profound upheavals 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 at all levels 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 goal that the round table discussion "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. 

Keywords: Conference, water, Environment