4. Water Research Horizon Conference
June, 25/26th 2013 - Berlin
Water Scarcity & Global Change
© T. Pontchour, 123rf.com
The world is changing fast. Population growth, increasing food and energy demands, growing economic activity around the globe, and climate change are the drivers of change. Like the drivers, the impacts are manifold, such as the growing threat of water scarcity, which will in turn have a strong impact on food and energy supply, as well as the health of ecosystems.
The Water Research Horizon Conference offers an open platform for water researchers from a wide range of water-related disciplines, as well as practitioners and decision-makers to discuss drivers and impacts of water scarcity and global change. It aims to stimulate exchange of knowledge and the development of new ideas for providing scientific input to the solution of water problems. This foresight conference aims to find new approaches, initiate cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional activities that will promote a new generation of young scientists with innovative ideas for solving some of the major challenges facing society today and in the future.
This year’s 4th Water Research Horizon Conference on Water Scarcity and Global Change combines two research fields: “New challenges emerging from global and climate change: food and water, mega-urbanization, risk and vulnerability” and “Water scarcity: new perspectives for a circum-Mediterranean research initiative”. These two research fields were formulated in the Water Science Alliance 
White Paper.
“Open Space Workshops” are organized by interested conference participants and offer room for in-depth discussions for initiating new research activities beyond the existing disciplinary and institutional boundaries.
After the official inception of the Water Science Alliance e.V. community platform in the spring of 2013, the first plenary meeting will take place on conference day 2.
