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Water Security knowledge exchange programme

flooded town

Water security: a UK and global issue

Increasing water demand due to population growth, food production and the effects of a changing climate is now recognised as one of the greatest challenges facing mankind.

These developments, in the UK and around the world, have been based on unsustainable exploitation of water resources, and water security is now a major concern of governments, industry and citizens.

To meet this challenge, the water security sector needs to:

  • better understand how to manage water resources and quality to meet the needs of different water users;
  • improve prediction of and preparation for floods and droughts;
  • develop partnerships between government, industry and the public to effectively apply best practice in water management;
  • integrate more reliable climate science into management of the water cycle and its related ecosystems.

The programme will help prioritise research needs in these areas, and strengthen knowledge exchange between the UK research base, industry, civil society and government.

The UK is highly regarded for its expertise in hydrology, and the Water Security knowledge exchange programme will support this through innovative and effective knowledge exchange activities.

What will the programme do?

The programme will establish a community of researchers and science users to develop networks for effective knowledge exchange. It will:

  • Work with policy-makers, industry and civil society organisations to identify priority areas for accelerating knowledge exchange activities.
  • Offer a first point of contact for information about water security related research.
  • Facilitate a range of knowledge exchange events, bringing together key researchers and users.
  • Help users communicate their needs to shape the development of new NERC research programmes.

How to get involved

The latest information about the programme can be found via the NERC knowledge exchange web portal Link to external site. This includes news, events, documents, reports and water related networks.

For further information please contact waterkep@nerc.ac.uk.

Programme management

The Water Security knowledge exchange programme is being hosted by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology at Wallingford.

Related links

 

External links