About the talk

On the global scale, the share of water resource consumed by humans is still relatively modest: 7 % of the “blue water” and 9 % of the “green water”, but the distributions in space of the human population and the water resources are significantly different. For example 21.5 % of the humans are concentrated on steppes and in arid zones and have access to only 2 % of the “blue water” resources of the planet. Moreover, the demand for water is increasing because of population growth and changes in food habits, whereas the resources are impacted by climate change.

About the speaker

Professor Ghislain de Marsily, emeritus Professor at Sorbonne University (Paris VI), France, is a member of the French Academy of Sciences, Academy of Technologies, Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Engineering, and member of the Academia Europa-ea. He is Dr. Honoris Causa from the Québec University, the Neuchâtel University in Switzerland, and Flinders University in Australia. He graduated as a mining engineer, taught Hydrology at the Paris School of Mines, and Applied Geology at Sorbonne University (Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris VI). His research interests include groundwater resources and protection, waste disposal, global water resources, the water-food-energy nexus, and sustainable development.