Water & Ecology Forum | Joan Rose: Ecological Perspective on Water and Health
Published 09 August, 2024
On May 24th, the inauguration ceremony of Water & Ecology (W&E) was held concurrently with the opening ceremony of the 6th China Urban Water Environment and Water Ecology Development Conference. During the conference, the inaugural meeting of the W&E editorial board was successfully convened, and the parallel forum, the Water & Ecology Forum, hosted by the editorial department, concluded successfully. The launch of W&E received coverage from multiple sources. For more information, please refer to the links provided at the end of this article.
Joan Rose serves as the editor-in-chief of W&E. She is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and a professor at the Water Research Center at Michigan State University. At the Water & Ecology Forum, Professor Rose, along with six experts from relevant domains, 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.
Joan Rose delved into the intricate connection between water quality and health, emphasizing the importance of studying the interactions between organisms and the environment from an ecological perspective. She traced the origins and development of ecology and highlighted the significant impacts of human activities on the hydrological cycle, including climate change, natural disasters, and water resource management.
She further noted that these factors not only alter global water cycle patterns but also give rise to water quality issues and biodiversity loss, ultimately affecting human health. She highlighted the importance of advanced water quality assessment and diagnostic technologies in achieving transboundary water management and advocated for the integration of relevant research into policies and decision-making processes aimed at protecting human health and the environment.
Additionally, she stressed the importance of international cooperation. She proposed that international symposiums could serve as platforms for facilitating cooperation agreements and suggested the establishment of international committees to propel the development of water quality research. Finally, she encouraged all participants to delve deeper into the relationship between water and ecology from an ecological perspective, with the aim of promoting sustainable development for both human health and the environment.
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