Bringing Birmingham to You: Wicked Water

Bringing Birmingham to You – Wicked Water

Wednesday 14 October

10.00am-11.30am PST (Los Angeles)
1.00pm-2.30pm EST (New York)
6.00pm-7.30pm BST (Birmingham, UK)
9.00pm-10.30pm GST (Dubai)

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the urgency with which we need to take global action on one of the most basic of human rights: water security. Nearly a quarter of households in low and middle income countries have been unable to adhere to basic hygiene guidelines like handwashing, in order to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

In a recent comment article published in Nature Sustainability, experts at the University of Birmingham and Northwestern University urged policy makers around the globe to focus on behavioural change, knowledge promotion, and investment in water infrastructure, in order to better prepare societies for future global health crises.

Join three of the article’s co-authors, David Hannah, Stefan Krause, and Iseult Lynch, for an enlightening discussion on global water security, the effects of water insecurity, and learn what we can do as individuals and as a society to take action. The panel will be chaired by Fiona Nunan, Professor of Environment and Development at the University.  Following the discussion, you will be invited to pose your questions to the expert panel. You are also encouraged to submit questions via email in advance of the discussion.

About the panellists:

Professor David Hannah (PhD, 1998)  
David is Professor of Hydrology, UNESCO Chair in Water Sciences, and College Director of Research for Life & Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham. He is recognised internationally for his pioneering work linking hydrology with climatology and ecology. He was honoured with the prestigious Tison Award (2014) from the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS); and, in 2019, he became a Royal Society Wolfson Fellow. His research has significant blue skies and applied implications for understanding and responding to impacts of climate change/variability on hydrological systems and riverine ecology, and the management/conservation of freshwaters. Beyond academia, he provides advice to Government agencies, water industries, and regulators.

Professor Stefan Krause
Stefan is Professor of Ecohydrology and Biogeochemistry at the University of Birmingham. His research investigates the impacts of global environmental change on hydrological fluxes, biogeochemical cycling, and ecohydrological feedback functions in complex landscapes with coupled groundwater-surface water systems. He has a wealth of experience in leading and managing interdisciplinary international funded research projects relating to ecohydrology and biogeochemistry; and serves on numerous international editorial boards and committees within these fields. He is member of the Birmingham Plastics Network, a unique interdisciplinary team of more than 40 academics working together to shape the fate and sustainable future of plastics. Outside of academia, he provides consultancy on international industry projects.

Professor Iseult Lynch
Iseult is a Chemist and Professor of Environmental Nanosciences at the University of Birmingham. Her research focusses on the safety of nanoparticles in the environment and their interactions with biological entities. She is an Associate Editor for Environmental Science: Nano, and is Deputy Director for the Facility for Environmental Nanomaterials Analysis and Characterisation at the University. In 2020, Iseult won the Royal Society of Chemistry’s John Jeyes Award, which is given annually to an academic achieving excellence in the field of chemistry in relation to the environment. Prior to joining Birmingham, she was Strategic Research Manager at the Centre for BioNano Interactions in University College Dublin, where she was instrumental in the development and implementation of numerous large EU-funded projects. Iseult is also a member of the Birmingham Plastics Network.

'Bringing Birmingham to You' is an event series from the Alumni Office, bringing Birmingham academics to our global alumni community. No prior knowledge of the subject matter is necessary. Academics will discuss and share their latest research and findings in an informal atmosphere, giving our alumni community a chance to meet and hear from some of the people helping lead the way in arts and science.