A conference on the topic “Water Resources: A Global Challenge, the Challenge of the Century?” as part of the “Rendez-vous de l’éco” series at the University of Montpellier

[Press Release] - Published on October 29, 2024 in Press Room

As part of the “Economics Series,” the Faculty of Economics at the University of Montpellier, in partnership with its student associations, is organizing a conference on the topic: “Water Resources: A Global Challenge, the Challenge of the Century?” on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, starting at 6:30 p.m., at the Faculty of Economics’ Richter Campus.

Why this conference?

Today, more than ever, the issue of water is a universal and multifaceted one. And its importance will only grow in the years and decades to come, particularly due to climate change, population growth, and inevitable urbanization—factors that could potentially lead to risks, disasters, economic and/or social difficulties, as well as tensions or conflicts across the globe. How, then, can we integrate and manage the fact that the existing responses and solutions to these multifaceted crises must be implemented locally and require, everywhere, a reevaluation of certain elements and foundations of how our human societies function?

Speakers:

• Éric SERVAT: Director of the UNESCO International Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Water Systems Dynamics (ICIREWARD) in Montpellier, Research Director at the IRD, and Associate Professor at the University of Montpellier. He served as Director of the Montpellier Observatory of Universe Sciences (OSU) from 2015 to 2024. Éric Servat is a hydrologist by training. He has taken a keen interest in the relationship between global changes and water resources, first in Africa and subsequently in the Mediterranean region. He has coordinated and led numerous international programs, notably through a partnership with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Program and its flagship “FRIEND-Water” initiative, which brings together more than 160 countries across all continents. He was recently appointed (July 2024) as chair of the French National Committee for UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Program.