On 21 September 2023, SafeCREW researcher Mathias Ernst talked about “Water resources and water supply in times of climate change” at the sixth Climate Congress at the University Hamburg. More than 650 high school students used the opportunity to exchange ideas with scientists and experts with the goal to understand climate change better and find answers to its consequences.
The Initiative Naturwissenschaft & Technik (NAT – Initiative Science and Technology) in cooperation with Hamburg’s universities has organised this scientific congress for sixth form students in the Hamburg metropolitan region since 2016. Focussing on research into climate change they want to sensitise young people to climate change, encourage them to engage with solutions and technical innovations and promote enthusiasm for research in the STEM fields.
Climate research is highly complex and its results are relevant for our future. It is therefore essential to communicate the scientific interrelationships in a clear and participatory way. Water as a global resource will be highly impacted by climate change. In his talk, Mathias focused on the challenges for water resources in Germany. He presented potential adaptation strategies. The DVGW Research Centre at TUHH focuses on ensuring the quality of the drinking water. The SafeCREW project will research the influence of climate change on natural organic matter and disinfection needs. The ambition is to develop climate-resilient management strategies to keep the formation of disinfection byproducts to a minimum.
Read about the Climate Congress or enjoy the impressions here.
All pictures: Copyright Initiative NAT – Jann Wilken