Festival of the Future 2021 - COP26 Series -Launch Event/Water

Description

The 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be hosted by the UK Government in Glasgow during November 2021. The host government is usually the critical ingredient to bringing about meaningful progress in these international negotiations; however, pressure from an informed public can also help.

This year we have seen the accelerating impacts of climate change all over the world, which may feel overwhelming to those just becoming aware of these issues. As researchers, we know the drivers and impacts of climate change are complex and touch many aspects of society at once. Three factors that are central to a functioning society are water, food and energy, all of which are impacted by and critical for addressing climate change.

Additionally, how we in society respond to these threats will determine our future wellbeing and we can take heart in the myriad creative responses already underway. Therefore, in the lead up to COP26, the University of Dundee organised an exciting virtual seminar series that grapples with some key issues around water, food, energy and creativity from a range of expertise and perspectives.

Water

Hosted by Dr Sarah Halliday, Lecturer in Environmental Modelling and Monitoring and an expert in water quality monitoring, followed by a welcome talk by Professor John Rowan, Vice-Principal for Research, Knowledge Exchange and Wider Impact.

Our three speakers offer a range of valuable insights relating to the danger a changing climate imposes on our water resources. Dr Caroline Clason (Dundee graduate and Associate Professor of Glaciology, University of Plymouth), discusses her work on the importance of glaciers as water resources.

Dr Nandan Mukherjee (post-doctoral research fellow, University of Dundee) introduces his United Nations award-winning work on creating sustainable floating homes in flood-prone regions of Bangladesh.

Dr Andrew Black (Reader in Geography, University of Dundee) examines the potential for natural flood management approaches to mitigate risks associated with climate change in Scotland.

Chaired by Andrew Allan, Director of the UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science.

Period	7 Oct 2021
Event title	Festival of the Future 2021: The University of Dundee's flagship festival programme that celebrates and enhances collaboration between science, art, and culture.
Event type	Other
Organiser
Location	Dundee, United KingdomShow on map