7 Water Research Horizon Conference | overview

28/29 June 2016 | Dessau – Umweltbundesamt

 
 (c) UFZ, 2011

Water quality in a changing world

Sufficient supply of water with an appropriate quality is fundamental for health and well-being of hu­mans and ecosystems. Degradation of water quality trans­lates directly into social, eco­nomic and eco­logical impacts. Shifts in climate, land use and hu­­man po­­pu­lation are drivers for water quality develop­­ment in a rapidly changing world. This requires adequate responses and adap­tion strategies in mana­gement, policy and technology in order to achieve our water quality targets in an effective way.

In this context and as established in the last conferences of this series, two main overarching themes are set:

Programme topics

This year’s conference includes the Kurt Eberhard Bode foundation’s award ceremony at the end of the first day and the 4th general meeting of the Water Science Alliance e.V. on the eve of the conference, Monday, 27th June ’16.

The 7th Water Research Horizon Conference will focus on the effects of global change on water quality as well as on the aquatic systems responses and options for adaptation. The soundness of scientific know­ledge to predict cause-effect relationships, the suitability of policies to achieve good water quali­ty, their effec­tiveness and flexibility in the face of changes as well as the opportunities of existing and advanced technologies to reach these goals will be discussed. An overall goal of the conference is to identify knowledge gaps to des­cribe the effects of global changes on water quality as well as to identify research needs to develop adaptation strategies.

Organisational issues

The WRHC is organized by the Water Science Alliance in cooperation with the Senate Commission on Water Research of the German Re­search Foundation and for the upcoming conference in 2016 with the German Environ­ment Agency.