13th WATER RESEARCH HORIZON CONFERENCE 2023
RIVER LINKS - WATER CONNECTING CLIMATES, LANDSCAPES & PEOPLE
26.09. - 27.09.2023 Freiburg/Germany
Programme
Keynote Speaker
Environmental Systems Analysis at University Tübingen
Disconnected rivers - rivers under pressure from infrastructure and pollution
Water Law and Diplomacy at IHE Delft
Enhancing sustainability in the management of rivers, lakes and aquifers - The role of cooperation across sectors, actors and countries
Sessions
Water connecting Biodiversity
Rivers are integral connecting elements of biodiversity and ecosystems. However, due to anthropogenic activities they are increasingly disconnected. This session features contributions about these connections and their potential severe consequences for nature and humanity.
• Hans Peter Grossart, IGB Berlin
Connectivity an often overlooked factor of aquatic biodiversity
• Kristy Deiner, ETH Zürich
Transport and degradation rates of eDNA in rivers predict hot spots for eDNA monitoring in landscapes
Water connecting Climates
Rivers link climatically different regions. This session features topics such as cold region (cryosphere) mountain headwater contributions to lowland regions, wet-to-dry climate controls of exotic rivers, precipitation contributions from different source areas, and research on disparate compensating or exacerbating hydroclimatic changes.
• Walter Immerzeel, Utrecht University
Connecting climate, water and people in high mountain Asia
• Sergio Vincente-Serrano, Instituto Pirenaico de Ecologia
Water availability challenges in Spain: complex land management processes and water demands in a climate change scenario
Water connecting People
Many industries and sectors are dependent on water use and water bodies - both nationally and internationally. Scarce water resources and pollution represent potential for conflict, but can also open up opportunities for cooperation. This session features research on the governance and management aspects involved.
• Ines Dombrowsky, German Institute of Development and Sustainability
Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Conflict and Cooperation of Transboundary Rivers
• Claudia Pahl-Wostl, Universität Osnabrück
How to meet the coordination challenge in dealing with complex water governance problems
Water connecting Health
Access to clean and safe drinking water is crucial for public health, as polluted water can cause severe illness and even death. In this context, water quantity and quality are closely related to human health. This session features research from different exposure pathways such as drinking, bathing, irrigation of crops like vegetables, rice, or the consumption of contaminated fish and shellfish to a better management of water resources that may help to reduce the transmission of pollutants to make water bodies safe for domestic, economic, and recreational uses.
• Julia Derx, TU Wien
Genetic microbial source tracking support drinking water infection risk modeling in a riverine wetland
• Andreas Fath, Hochschule Furtwangen
Swimming rivers as research projects to convince policy makers
Water connecting Landscape
Water erodes and deposits sediments and nutrients, among other biotic and abiotic matter exchanges in the landscape. The session deals with the interaction of water with landscape features that control and shape such links as well as with observed, modeled and predicted changes.
• Simone Bizzi, University of Padova
Building evidence of river geomorphic processes in a data rich era
• Sergiy Vorogushyn, GFZ Potsdam
Interplay of river networks and floodplains from the flood risk perspective
People (dis)connecting Water
People have disconnected free-flowing water by dams and reservoirs, but also through alterations by river training, abstractions and other human influences. This session features research that investigates trends and positive or negative effects - including but not limited to e.g. increases in water quantity for (drinking) water supply, effective flood protection (and limits to it), disturbance of aquatic ecosystems, sediment transport or water quality and explores management and governance options.
• Bernhard Lehner, McGill University
Global effects of dams and reservoirs on free-flowing rivers: status, challenges, and opportunities