Aims, programs, possibilities – Water Summit returns to Budapest
The speakers on the first day of the Budapest Water Summit highlighted the importance of sustainable water management and enumerated the dangers of climate change affecting water supplies. László Lovász, President of the MTA emphasised that the scientific community has a responsibility in ensuring that clean water not be a rare treasure but a natural resource for our children and grandchildren.
1 December, 2016
Participants included politicians, diplomats, employees of UN organizations, activists and businessmen who all congregated for the second time round in Budapest. Many of whom have a significant influence on whether everyone on Earth will have access to clean water by the end of the 21st century, due to the rate of population increase and climate change.
During the conference, Mr. Lovász presented the objectives of the recently launched hydrology program of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Based on forecasts if the world continues on its current path, by 2030 the global water shortage could be as high as 40% – according to the background material presenting the activities of the presidential board of the Budapest Water Summit. (The photo shows a water purification station in the Netherlands) The primary aim of the project is to create an interdisciplinary research network which is task oriented, based on basic research and requires the cooperation of research groups specialized in different fields. The research areas of the forthcoming interdisciplinary hydrology network will be synchronized with international projects, primarily with the Danube Region Strategy concerned with the catchment area of the Danube. “The different subfields of water use and water management should not be separated. The work of research groups of hydrology must be interconnected. Their results should be integrated in all possible ways into strategic planning concerning water, into the execution of such plans and measures and into the everyday work of water management” – said László Lovász. The Hungarian Academy of Sciences will do its utmost to integrate international experiences into its hydrology program. To achieve this, it will concentrate on strengthening the professional relationships with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Union. The President of the MTA believes that strong cooperation with the neighbouring countries is essential in order for the project to be successful.
President of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson said that the world is heading towards unsustainability when it comes to water. The main objective of the Paris Agreement is to keep global warming in the range of 1.5-2 °C, however, the world seems to be approaching the 3-4 °C range. “We do not know whether human civilization can survive.” Although the aims of the Climate Treaty have identified the tasks ahead of us, humanity has not yet realized the dangers that lie ahead. If we do not accomplish our aims, the future of humanity is at stake.
For more on the Budapest Water Summit please visit their webpage following this link.