AXA Chair to Enable Global Monitoring Network Thanks to VUB
On January 18, the inauguration of the AXA Chair Water Quality and Global Change will take place. VUB professor and hydrologist Ann Van Griensven is the chairholder and will present this groundbreaking research project.
The chair is being launched in the presence of AXA Belgium CEO Etienne Bouas-Laurent. Water Quality and Global Change is funded by the AXA Research Fund and explores the profound relationship between global change and water quality. The primary goal of this project is to improve water management in the context of global changes by developing water quality data models designed to inform decision-making and support the formulation of comprehensive water policy initiatives.
With the funding, Van Griensven aims to establish a global network to monitor water quality. The collected data will be integrated into models that she plans to use to assist governments in better guiding their policies. The initiative seeks to bridge the gap between scientists and policymakers.
“The models will enable 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. There are significant differences worldwide in the availability of water quality data, leaving water quality an invisible issue. We aim to close this gap by focusing on improved data collection methods, involving local communities in the process. In this way, we can make the invisible visible.”
Practical info
Date and Time:
Thursday, January 18, 2024, from 12:00 to 14:00
Location:
VUB Main Campus Etterbeek, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene. U-Residence, G. Jacqueslaan 271.
There will be an opportunity for interviews with Ann Van Griensven and AXA CEO Etienne Bouas-Laurent. Please submit your request via Leen.Vandevelde2@vub.be.
For more information and to register, visit this link.
Sam Jaspers
