AXA Chair to Enable a Global Monitoring Network Thanks to VUB
Brussels, January 18, 2024 – The AXA Chair Water Quality and Global Change, led by VUB professor and hydrologist Ann Van Griensven, was officially launched today at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in the presence of Etienne Bouas-Laurent, CEO of AXA Belgium.
The AXA Research Fund has allocated one million euros to the chair, which will implement three key research initiatives to address global challenges related to water quality in the context of a changing world.
Through the AXA Research Chair, Professor Van Griensven aims to establish a global network to monitor water quality. The data collected will be used to create models that will assist governments in better guiding their policies and bridging the gap between scientists and policymakers.
Rivers, lakes, and aquifers are the lifeblood of our planet. They nourish ecosystems, provide clean water, support agriculture, buffer our climate, and preserve biodiversity.
“Yet, we dangerously underestimate the urgent threat of water pollution in the context of global climate change,” says Van Griensven. “This neglect has far-reaching consequences, endangering public health, ecological stability, economic resilience, food security, and environmental justice. Fifty percent of child mortality is linked to poor water quality. Addressing these issues requires global strategies. It’s time to act, as water pollution is exacerbated by the complex interplay of climate change, urbanization, industrialization, and shifting land-use patterns.”
Climate Change and Water Quality
Climate change, with extreme weather events and seasonal fluctuations, population growth, and land-use changes, has significant long-term effects on the water quality of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Deteriorating water quality threatens the environment, ecosystem services, key economic sectors (such as drinking water production and fisheries), and even global health. Scientific studies often overlook the effects of climate change on water quality. To fill this gap, Van Griensven aims to establish a high-resolution global network to monitor water quality and develop predictive models on the impact of climate change on water quality. She will collaborate with local scientific and policy partners.
“The models will allow us to predict water quality parameters, identify sources of pollution, and protect ecosystem services,” says Van Griensven. “However, this requires sufficient data on a global scale. Significant disparities exist worldwide in the availability of water quality data, leaving water quality an invisible issue. We aim to address this problem by focusing on better data collection methods, involving local communities in the process. This way, we can make the invisible visible.”
Belgian Case Study in the Scheldt River Basin
The global network will utilize cost-effective Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors, installed in collaboration with partners. These sensors will measure water temperature, turbidity, electrical conductivity, nitrate levels, and oxygen levels. The collected data will be combined with remote sensing data and local observations using artificial intelligence.
The model will also have practical applications in Belgium, specifically in the Scheldt River Basin. The Scheldt Basin is a vital agricultural area, and river transport is a crucial economic factor, including the Port of Antwerp. Additionally, the Scheldt Basin is important for biodiversity.
“However, the area faces environmental challenges such as pollution from industrial and agricultural activities, and flood management is becoming a challenge due to climate change,” says Van Griensven. “The basin struggles with habitat degradation due to urbanization, invasive species, and water quality issues.”
AXA’s Commitment to Academic Research
“For the past 15 years, AXA has consistently supported innovative academic research projects in Belgium through its global scientific philanthropy initiative, the AXA Research Fund,” says Etienne Bouas-Laurent, CEO of AXA Belgium. “The fund has already allocated nearly nine million euros to Belgian projects, including several related to the environment and climate. This demonstrates AXA’s commitment to climate action in Belgium and the quality of Belgian universities and academics.”
“The AXA Chairs are our most prestigious and highly competitive funding programs,” says Julia d’Astorg, director of the AXA Research Fund. “We are particularly proud to support Ann’s innovative and concrete approach to the urgent issue of water quality in the context of global change. According to UNEP, three billion people face health risks due to a lack of data on water quality.”
More info:
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Frans Steenhoudt – frans.steenhoudt@vub.be - 0475 68 64 69
AXA Belgium
Allan Matthys – allan.matthys@axa.be - 0496 21 29 24
Charlotte Marron – charlotte.marron@axa.be - 0478 59 64 32
