Water & Ecology Forum: A Successful Conclusion, with W&E's Key Contributors Jointly Charting a New Starting Point for Water and Ecology

The opening ceremony of the sub-forum of the 6^th China Urban Water Environment and Water Ecology Development Conference and Three Gorges Environmental Science and Technology Conference was held in Wuhan on May 24^th 2024. The Water & Ecology Forum, a parallel forum hosted by the editorial office of Water & Ecology (W&E) , has also come to a successful close on the afternoon of May 24^th. The forum was broadcast live on seven platforms, including the WeChat channels of W&E, Water Environment & Ecology Council of CHINASUS, the Environmentor and KeAi Academic, with over 30,000 online viewers.

The forum was hosted by Chengzhi Hu, executive editor of W&E and deputy director of the Research Center for Eco-Environment Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Huijuan Liu, professor of the School of Environment, Tsinghua University. 

Jiuhui Qu, Editor-in-Chief of W&E, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and researcher at the Research Center for Eco-Environment Sciences, CAS, delivered a speech. He introduced the purposes of launching W&E, elaborated on the grand vision for the development of water and ecology disciplines, and called on experts and scholars in the field to join hands with the journal to build W&E into a high-level academic exchange platform. Gang Liu, executive editor of W&E and researcher at the Research Center for Eco-Environment Sciences, CAS, then introduced the progress and recent plans for the journal's establishment, as well as its mission and positioning for future development.

The members of the W&E editorial board hailing from the United States, Netherlands, Mexico, and China, along with experts from relevant domain, presented the cutting-edge advancements in environmental science, hydroinformatics, watershed ecology, environmental engineering, and other related fields from the perspective of water-ecology coupling. They also elaborated on how these technologies, methodologies, and theories synergize to drive scientific innovation forward and thereby lead the advancement of the interdisciplinary field of water and ecology. Following the presentations, the editors and other key contributors engaged in profound discussions with the attending experts and scholars. The discussions centered on the significance of W&E and the development of water and ecology disciplines.

Joan Rose, the co-Editor-in-Chief of W&E, serves as the director and professor of the Water Research Center at Michigan State University, a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the recipient of the 2016 Stockholm Water Prize. Her presentation, titled "Ecological Perspective on Water and Health," expounded on the relationship between water and health. She advocated for an ecological approach to addressing the crucial issues that impact water quality and human health and emphasized the impacts of climate change, land use changes, pollution, and inadequate infrastructure on natural water systems. She also underscored the significance of monitoring the diversity and functionality of these systems for effective water management and public health. Furthermore, she highlighted the importance of advanced water quality assessment and diagnostic technologies in achieving transboundary water management. Finally, she recommended integrating relevant research into policies and decision-making processes aimed at protecting human health and the environment. 

Zhu Yongguan serves as the director of the Research Center for Eco-Environment Sciences, CAS, a member of CAS and the member of the World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries (TWAS). The title of his presentation was "Antimicrobial Resistance in One Health." He posited that microbial cycling within the framework of "One Health" represents an emerging public health issue, requiring a holistic approach to understand the environmental dimension of antimicrobial resistance. Correspondingly, the research work must undergo paradigm shifts. He outlined three critical paradigm shifts in microbial research: transitioning from DNA-based research to cultivation-based studies, attaining a deeper understanding of active microorganisms, and shifting the focus from mere pollution status investigations to quantitative risk assessments.

Dragan Savic is an editorial board member of W&E, the chief executive officer of KWR Water Institute in the Netherlands, and a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) and the Academy of Europe (AE). His presentation, titled "Hydroinformatics in Practice: Can It Address Ecological Challenges?", delved into the successful applications of hydroinformatics in addressing ecological issues within the context of global water security. Through case studies such as the monitoring of water quality and macrophytes in the Danube River, as well as the national map of shallow groundwater quality in the Netherlands, Professor Savic demonstrated how, with the support of digital technologies, hydroinformatics can be leveraged for ecological restoration, the realization of urban ecology and nature-based water management. He pointed out that hydroinformatics presents a pivotal opportunity to tackle global water security and ecological challenges, emphasizing that future challenges will transcend the technical realm and extend into policy and practical implementation.

Blanca E. Jiménez Cisneros is an editorial board member of W&E and a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Her presentation, titled "Water, science and public policy AR6 IPCC WGII," elaborated on the pivotal role of water in the context of climate change, emphasizing its significance to ecosystems, human communities, as well as social and cultural dimensions. She underscored the profound impacts of climate change on water resources, including those affecting agriculture, energy production, human health, and the environment, pointing out the escalating risks of extreme events such as floods and droughts. Furthermore, she outlined the challenges and risks associated with water security, necessitating the involvement of multiple government sectors in devising corresponding strategies to address climate change and tackle social inequality.

Wang Dianchang, an editorial board member of W&E, serves as the director of the National Engineering Research Center of Eco-Environment in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the chairman of the Yangtze Ecology and Environment Co., Ltd. The title of his presentation was "Evolution of Water Ecology Patterns and Systematic Governance in the Yangtze River Basin." He reviewed the water ecology patterns and systematic governance strategies in the Yangtze River Basin, delved into the evolution of the basin's water ecology, highlighting the significant changes in wetlands, biodiversity, and water quality that have resulted from human activities and urbanization. Furthermore, he envisioned the ecological prospects for the Yangtze River Basin and advocated for integrated management of both cities and the basin to achieve harmony between humans and nature in the Yangtze River region.

Wang Aijie, professor at Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, serves as the director of the State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (Shenzhen) and a distinguished member of the International Water Association (IWA). The title of her presentation was "Risk Identification and Intelligent Management of Urban Water System." In the presentation, she focused on research achievements in risk identification and intelligent management of urban water system. For the identification and evaluation of aquatic ecological risks, a water quality risk identification method based on novel molecular markers was developed, which dynamically assessed the ecological risks associated with the environmental transformation processes of water antimicrobials and sediments across 64 cities in 28 provinces nationwide. As for the identification and evaluation of water quality risks, a database for waterborne pathogenic microorganisms and a quantitative risk assessment method were established. Regarding the risk of water eutrophication caused by nitrogen and phosphorus, a new method for big data monitoring with high spatio-temporal resolution was established, which can be used for dynamic monitoring and tracing the sources of algal blooms. Professor Wang further proposed an integrated management and control platform for urban water systems. Taking the city of Xianning as an example, she put forward a method to perform a "health check" for the city and to ensure water quality safety.