Events
The Mediterranean region is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change and will increasingly be exposed to extreme climate events. It is currently facing serious water challenges. Climate change will place already scarce water resources under intense pressure in the region, with major consequences for human life, the environment and regional food security.
The concept of the New Normal is frequently used with reference to prolonged periods of droughts, e.g., the ongoing drought in California and earlier ones in the Sahel, Australia and other places. It is also associated with increased uncertainty/risks and a speeding up of hydrological processes, e.g. evapotranspiration. I like to argue that there are other quite problematic New Normals of societies, linked to water: ours is the first generation who have been exposed to a considerable surplus of food production & supply in relation to the recommended intake. We are the first generation when overweight, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies...
Dr Jerome Delli Priscoli (USA) is Chair of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) Technical Committee. For over 20 years he has been senior advisor USACE at the Institute for Water Resources. He is also lecturer at Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) in Washington. For 30 years he has designed and run social assessment, public participation and conflict resolution research and training programs along with U.S. national water policy and projects studies. Dr Delli Priscoli is a skilled mediator and facilitator and has worked throughout the world.
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Water and sanitation are at the very core of sustainable development. In addition to domestic purposes, water is needed for food, energy and industrial production, uses that are highly inter-connected and potentially conflicting. These various uses generate wastewater that may cause pollution if not properly managed. Water is also needed to ensure healthy ecosystems, which in turn can improve the quantity and quality of freshwater, as well as overall resilience to human and environmentally induced change. The climate system is linked to the environment and the socio-economic system through water, and climate change are often reflected in shifts in water...