"P.L.O.U.F": 400 elementary and middle school students take to the water

[Press release] - Published on March 20, 2024 in Press Room

The UNESCO International Center ICIReward and the University of Montpellier are organizing an awareness day at the Corum on March 29 for 400 elementary and middle school students from Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole with the "P.L.O.U.F" program (a fun program for smart explorers). As part of World Water Day, they will take part in various awareness-raising workshops on the theme of water resources and living organisms.

With the recent events in France (extreme droughts and water restrictions in the south, floods in the north), awareness of the effects of climate change is growing.  The UNESCO International Center ICIReward and the University of Montpellier are organizing "P.L.O.U.F," a fun and educational program dedicated to raising awareness among curious young minds about freshwater resources and living organisms. Throughout the day, nearly 400 schoolchildren from Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole will take part in 25 workshops, including photo exhibitions, games, models, murals, and experimental and artistic workshops.

The UNESCO icireward center and the University of Montpellier will be supported by numerous partners: Univerlacité, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole Water Authority, Aquatech Innovation, Artisans du Monde, BioViva, C.L.O.P.E, Co-Science, EPTB Lez, and the Hérault Fishing Federation.

The center in a nutshell

The UNESCO ICIReWARD (International Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Water Systems Dynamics), located in Montpellier, brings together and strengthens collaboration between nearly 480 scientists and 180 doctoral students in 17 research laboratories. The center's scientific community thus forms a rich multidisciplinary and international network to improve understanding of water issues. The research areas combine hydrological, chemical, and biological sciences with social sciences to provide comprehensive expertise in addressing water resource challenges: availability, quality, sharing, and extreme events (floods, droughts). ICIREWARD works throughout the year with schoolchildren, high school students, university students, and the general public (Water4Future program, PLOUF, etc.).