We are in a state of environmental crisis. As someone who knows something about this, i’m really worried about the rising food crisis (due to ongoing wars in regions of russia-ukraine and israel-palestine), and waves of environmental refugees. In this strip of lands, soil is getting ruined daily. Every bomb ruins a patch of soil including moisture, microorganisms, roots, plants, … . Imagine how mu ...[Read More]
Call to participate to the public consultation for the Water4All-Partnership
Those of you who are active in proposal writing might know the programme Water4All Partnership – Water Security for the Planet. It is a funding programme for scientific research in freshwater with the goal to address urgent water-related challenges. The programme is co-funded by the European Union within the frame of the Horizon Europe programme (lasting until 2027) and includes 90 partners ...[Read More]
Public engagement in science: how to position ourselves?
Back of my laptop, conveying some of my values
The recent student protests against the war in Gaza reminded all of us that being a member of the academic community requires us to reflect upon our role in society. In Switzerland, the university occupations (see SwissInfo) led to several open letter-type reactions from academic staff, either supporting the protests or on the contrary, recalling that scientists should abstain from activism. This ...[Read More]
Historical evolution of water management: the example of Switzerland over 200 years
(source: © eawag)
How can we use and manage natural resources more sustainably? This question stands at the core of many social, political and scientific debates about how we can reach the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The targets are ambitious, and there is a growing consensus that rapid and extensive structural change is needed in various sectors simultaneously. However, how transformation ...[Read More]