The UNESCO Chair in Human-Water Systems at the University of Bonn is intended to research the sustainable use of water as a resource from an inter- and transdisciplinary perspective, with a particular focus on the relationship between climate, water and food issues, as well as hydrological extremes such as drought and floods in Southeast Asia and Eastern and Western Africa. The new chair is headed by Prof. Dr. Mariele Evers, who also chairs the German Scientific Advisory Board for the water research programs of UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization. She has been a professor of geography with a focus on ecohydrology and water resources management at the University of Bonn since 2013.
"Research on human-water systems is complex, and inter- and transdisciplinary approaches are key to better understanding and implementing knowledge sustainably," explains Mariele Evers. "However, there is often a lack of methodological approaches and targeted processing of research results. This is exactly where we want to start with the new chair." The activities of the chair include research, teaching, capacity development and generating decision-relevant knowledge for and with practitioners, which will be realized through a network of international collaborations.
Embedding in transdisciplinary research at the University of Bonn
"Excellent research on sustainable development worldwide is a central profile area of the University of Bonn, not least thanks to our location in the German city of the United Nations," emphasizes Rector Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Michael Hoch. The chair is therefore part of the Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA) "Innovation and Technology for a Sustainable Future", of which Evers is also a member. The cross-faculty partnership brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines to explore institutional, science- and technology-based innovations in the field of sustainability.
"The new UNESCO Chair is another beacon in this regard, particularly with a view to strengthening the important issue of water resources, which, in the context of climate change, constitutes one of the key challenges of the new decade. I am extremely pleased that Mariele Evers, one of the most internationally renowned colleagues in this field, has been recruited as director," stresses Hoch.
UNESCO chairs in more than 110 countries
In the global network of UNESCO Chairs, more than 750 UNESCO Chairs in more than 110 countries cooperate to anchor UNESCO's goals in science and education. Germany is home to 14 UNESCO Chairs. They are noted for their outstanding research and teaching in UNESCO's fields of work. The principles of their work include international networking, especially in the North-South and North-South-South areas, and the promotion of intercultural dialogue. UNESCO Chairs contribute worldwide to creating, disseminating and applying knowledge to promote sustainable development.
Further information
UNESCO Chair in Human-Water-Systems https://www.geographie.uni-bonn.de/forschung/ags/ag-evers
UNESCO Chair Program: https://www.unesco.de/bildung/unesco-lehrstuehle
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Mariele Evers
Department of Geography at the University of Bonn
Hydrology and Water Resource Management
Phone: +49 (0)228 73-3526
Email: mariele.evers@uni-bonn.de
German Commission for UNESCO
Peter Martin, Press relations
Phone: +49 30 80 20 20-310
Email: martin@unesco.de