L’humain à l’eau: Human impact on water management and pollution

  • Event type :
  • Dates : From 23rd to 24th April 2024
  • Hours : 08:30-17:30
  • Location : Amphithéâtre Charles Flahault - Institut Botanique - 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090 Montpellier

Our planet’s vital water resources are significantly affected by climate change and pollution generated by human activities with dramatic consequences on health and ecosystems. This conference will highlight humans’ impact on water resources: from water management challenges to water contamination with microplastics, PFAS (aka “forever chemicals”) as well as heavy metals and organic pollutants.

Understanding the cycle of water and its pollutants, from their production to dispersion in the environment and their impact on biodiversity, is therefore of prime key scientific and regulatory importance.

Most of the discussions will be in English, with the exception of the round table ‘Vers un monde plastique plus durable’.

23 aPril :

08:45-09:00 Opening by Philippe Augé, president of the University of Montpellier

Introduction by Patrick Caron (Director of MAK’IT) & Charlotte Boullé (in charge of training programmes at ExposUM)

09:00-09:20 Introduction by the scientific committee: Ramia Al Bakain (The University of Jordan), Patrick Allard (UCLA), Filomena Silva (ARAID).

09:20-10:00

Keynote lecture: Restore the health of our water – Eric Servat (Director of ICIREWARD – International Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Water Systems Dynamics)

10:20-12:30 Session 1 : Plastics in our waters: concerns and future-facing solutions

12:30-14:00 Lunch

14:00-16:30 Session 2: Water scarcity management: sustainable approach and pilot projects

Introduction – Mouïn Hamzé (Scientific advisor of CIHEAM Bari): Water and Climate Change: Challenges for the Mediterranean Agricultural and Food Systems

  • Panel 1 Water Management : Scarcity, Pollution, and Impact on Climate Change
    • Water resources scarcity due to global change. Challenges and solutions – Patrick Lachassagne (HydroSciences Montpellier, IRD)
    • Chemical diversity and the role of analytical capabilities in characterizing water contamination – Elena Gomez (HydroSciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier)
    • Evaluation of emerging contaminant removal processes during artificial recharge through a reactive barrier: from laboratory experiments to field application – Geoffroy Duporte (HydroSciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier)
  • Panel 2 Research, Innovation and Geopolitical Challenges of Water in the Mediterranean Region
    • Research and innovation to face challenges on Climate Change and its impact in the food system of the Mediterranean region – Giuseppe Provenzano (Higher Education and Research Division, Union for the Mediterranean)
    • Adapting treated wastewater reuse face to global and climate changes in water scarcity regions: experience of groundwater artificial recharge and irrigation in Tunisia – Fethi Laachal (Water Research and Technology Centre, CERTE)
    • Water Reuse in Algerian Oasis Region: Institutional Management Bottlenecks and Demonstration of Operational Feasibility – Nassim Ait Mouheb (UMR G-EAU, INRAE)

16:30-17:30 Cocktail party

24 aPril :

09:00-12:00 Session 3: Our future with ‘forever’ contaminants

12:00 Take home messages and conference closing