22 mai 2017
00:00
Nexus Seminar // Tackling Key Challenges to Global Water Sustainability at the Center for Advanced Water Research
The Center for Advanced Water Research (CAWR) brings together the water competences of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ and the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden). Together, the jointly tackle key challenges in the water sector. Quality water in adequate quantity is a fundamental for human life and the environment. With many global challenges, such as food or energy security, human health and ecosystems, flood defense and droughts or the provision of drinking water and sanitation systems, water is a very critical factor for a sustainable society worldwide.
Current key projects of the CAWR will be the focus of the presentation, such as the BMBF-project „Managing Water for Urban Catchments”. The goal of this project is to develop sanitary and environmental engineering system solutions for sustainable water quality improvement in Lake Chao – one of the five large freshwater lakes in China. Especially during summer the discharge of wastewater and diffuse inputs from agriculture results in a massive increase of blue-green algae. This has an enormous impact on the drinking water supply for the population. In this framework, the innovative concept of “Urban Water Resources Management (UWRM)” is implemented, providing efficient sanitary systems in urban and rural areas while also addressing the impact on natural aquatic ecosystems.