Water & Ecology Forum:Prelude——Water Biosafety Summit Forum Successfully Held

On May 20, under the guidance of the International Water Association (IWA), the Water & Ecology Forum:Prelude, Water Biosafety Summit Forum and the inaugural seminar of the IWA China Committee on Water Biosafety were jointly organized by Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences(RCEES).Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China Water Environment Group, and the editorial office of Water & Ecology. The meeting announced the formal establishment of the IWA China Committee on Water Biosafety (hereinafter referred to as "MS China") and the launch of a series of Water & Ecology journal activities. Mr. Chengzhi Hu, Deputy Director of RCEES, Mrs. Li Hong, Director of IWA Asia-Pacific Region, Academician Jiuhui  Qu and Academician Joan Rose, Honorary Chairpersons of MS China, Prof. Gertjan Medema and Mr. Aijie Wang, Advisors of the Committee, as well as Mr. Gang Liu, Chairperson of the Committee, Prof. Wenhai Chu, Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, and Vice-President of CEE, Mr. Lujing Zhang, were all present at the meeting. Members from all over the country and the teachers and students of the RCEES attended the meeting online and offline.

In the speech session, researcher Chengzhi Hu, on behalf of the organizers, welcomed the two experts who came from afar, and the members both online and offline. He said that the formation of the committee based on the results and experience accumulated by our scholars in water biosafety is of great significance to promote the research in the field of water quality in China, which is in line with the goal of Academician Jiuhui Qu and Academician Joan Rose to co-found the journal Water & Ecology. Mrs Li Hong, Director of IWA, said in his speech that IWA encourages interdisciplinary international cooperation and provides professional help for Chinese scientists and water industry practitioners to present their achievements in the international arena, and that the establishment of the committee is a successful example of promoting the development of research in the field of water in China, which will surely play a positive role in the development of water research in China.

At the inauguration ceremony of the committee, Dr. Gang Liu, Chairman of the committee and Executive EiC of Water & Ecology, introduced the background and significance of founding the journal Water & Ecology and establishing MS China. He pointed out that the journal will provide a platform for high-end exchange and dissemination of cutting-edge results, and the committee will promote the development of science and technology in the field of water biosafety in China and provide an international platform for the presentation of excellent research results. Mr.  Lujing Zhang, Vice Chairman of the Committee, presented the progress of China Water Environment Group in the area of wastewater resource utilization and wastewater-based public health monitoring, and released the logo of MS China, which consists of the initials of "Microbial Safety of Water" (M.S. Water), and the Chinese character of the goddess of water, Luo Shen, in the ancient mythology of China. The logo is based on the ancient Chinese goddess, and is a perfect blend of science and art, reflecting the Committee's aim of protecting the source of life.

During the forum session, Joan Rose, Editor-in-Chief of Water & Ecology, President Emeritus of M.S. Water, Member of the National Academy of Engineering, and Professor at Michigan State University, presented a paper entitled Imperative Science for Health-Related Water Biosecurity and Microbiology. She noted that water is at the heart of a healthy planet and key to sustainable development and global security goals, and that today the world faces multiple threats from emerging and evolving pathogens, climate change, extreme events, disasters, land use, coastal stress, and lack of infrastructure. For health-related water microbiology research, it is imperative to clarify microbial communities in water, global systems and distributional characteristics, and to combine mathematical and microbiological research to advance engineering innovations in quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) and microbial water security.

Gertjan Medema, Advisory Board Member, Editorial Board Member of Water & Ecology, Chief Scientist at the KWR Water Institute in the Netherlands, and Professor at Delft University of Technology, gave a presentation entitled "Wastewater gone viral". He was honored with the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2024 for his contribution to curbing the spread of the virus by introducing epidemiological research methods to sewage monitoring during the New Crown outbreak. He noted that sewage is a mirror of society and is important in public health, and that sewage monitoring can be used to control infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, illegal drugs, etc. His research and insights are important for understanding and addressing global water security challenges.

After the report, the participants carried out in-depth exchanges and discussions, and the meeting ended successfully in a warm atmosphere.