RATIONALE

In the face of global degradation of water-related ecosystems, climate instability and growing anthropogenic impacts, there is an urgent need to integrate the existing knowledge from different environmental sciences as a key for the development of problem-solving, sustainability science. Ecohydrology, a transdisciplinary science, views ecosystem processes as management tools to achieve sustainability by defining multidimensional goals for catchment management - WBSRC (Water, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services for Society, Resilience to climatic changes and Cultural heritage).

Since water is a major driver of biogeochemical evolution, and hence of biodiversity and biological productivity, regulation of ecohydrological processes becomes the first and fundamental step towards achieving sustainability in the catchment, particularly in human-modified and degraded systems. Since its formulation under UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme, the WBSRC strategy aims to achieve synergies between nature-based solutions and the circular economy in order to sustain  development and achieve increasing efficiency.

This Symposium brings together water management experts and aquatic scientists from 32 different countries who will provide an open forum for the integration of ecohydrological biotechnologies and systemic solutions towards mitigation/adaptation to climate instability.

Every successful strategy must be founded with two elements: amplification of opportunities and elimination of risks. Circular economy, the rising issue of our times, focuses on “closing the loop” approach, contributes to increasing resources productivity (and decreasing of disposals), efficiency of energy use, and reduction of pollution emissions. To achieve sustainability with adaptation to climate change, it is necessary to implement the second element of the strategy, which is the enhancement of catchment carrying capacity (sustainability potential). For this, with a  profound understanding of ecosystem processes and their dynamics is required. The science of Ecohydrology, based on a paradigm shift from a mechanistic to an evolutionary approach to hydrological processes, links the circular economy with nature-based solutions.