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Groundwater and the fight against climate change: Global expert delivers prestigious University of Birmingham lecture

In this year's China Institute Li Siguang Distinguished Lecture, Professor Yan Zheng will explore how groundwater can ensure that our water supply survives the threat of climate change.

26 October 2021•2 minute read
Professor Yan Zheng

Professor Yan Zheng

In this year's China Institute Li Siguang Distinguished Lecture, Professor Yan Zheng, from Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) will explore how groundwater can ensure that our water supply survives the threat of climate change.

A global expert, Professor Zheng will deliver her talk ‘Enhancing Groundwater Sustainability for Climate Resilience’ at 1300 BST on Thursday, 28 October 2021 - streaming live across YouTube and Facebook.

Registration for the event is free and the lecture will also be available on the University of Birmingham’s WeChat account.

Professor Zheng, Chair Professor in the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at SUSTech, will explore how water in natural underground aquifers can help to secure precious water supplies.

The talk will be followed by a panel discussion involving Professor Zheng and chaired by Professor Iseult Lynch, Professor of Environmental Nanosciences at the University of Birmingham. A range of speakers will join Professor Zheng on the panel:

  • Professor Stefan Krause, Professor of Ecohydrology and Biogeochemistry – University of Birmingham;
  • Dr Shirley Ye, Lecturer in Asian History – University of Birmingham; and
  • Dr Mike Jones - Water Resources Modelling Lead, Thames Water.

Professor Zheng commented: "Groundwater is invisible so it is easily forgotten. It is key to our water supply and food security. It buffers the humanities against multi-faceted impacts of climate change.”

Professor Jon Frampton, China Institute Director, commented: “On the eve of world leaders gathering at COP26 in Glasgow to discuss the environmental challenges facing our planet, we’re looking forward to hearing Professor Zheng’s exploration of the important role that groundwater can play in securing precious water supplies.

"The University of Birmingham has long-established and valued links with China and we are proud of our growing reputation in China, both for delivering high-quality education and establishing research partnerships with a global impact.”

Notes for editors

  • For more information, please contact Tony Moran, International Communications Manager, University of Birmingham on +44 (0) 121 414 8254 or +44 (0)782 783 2312. For out-of-hours enquiries, please call +44 (0) 7789 921 165.The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 6,500 international students from over 150 countries.
  • The history of collaboration between China and the University of Birmingham dates back almost to the foundation of the University in 1901. The China Institute was created to reflect the University’s extensive academic activities its colleagues undertake in China.
  • The University of Birmingham is proud of its long history of engagement with China, welcoming its first students from China in 1907.
  • Known as the ‘father of Chinese geology, Li Siguang was one of our first graduates from China, who studied in the University’s School of Mining. Born in Huanggang, Hubei Province in 1889, he arrived at Birmingham in 1914, receiving his BSc in 1917 and his MSc in 1918. He was awarded a doctorate from the University of Birmingham in 1931, having spent several years researching geology in China.
  • Li Siguang is one of the best-known scientists in China, with a record of important discoveries as an academic. In geological circles, his work inspired the theory of plate dynamics and understanding how continents and oceans move around the planet. He was behind the discovery of much of China’s oil and gas reserves. He was a pioneer in predicting earthquakes, a trailblazer in establishing the geological history of China and an acute discoverer of new resources. His daughter studied for an MSc in Metallurgy Physics at the University of Birmingham, graduating in 1948.

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