Brazil

How do you personally and professionally relate to water and/or space technologies?

Personally, I was always connected with natural environments and would often visit mountain streams and waterfalls. My professional experiences with both water and space technologies started in 2004 when I worked at the Amazonian Manatee Project in a nature reserve in Amazonas, Brazil.

Merci à Mussa Kachunga Stanis d'avoir traduit cet article volontairement.

Mosquitos are often cited as one of the deadliest animals in the world, causing up to one million deaths per year (WHO, 2020; CDC, 2021). They can carry and transmit a variety of diseases, including malaria, West Nile virus, dengue fever, and Zika virus; transmitting illness across the globe (Figure 1). To help decrease the burden of disease resulting from mosquitos, researchers are utilising satellite data and remote sensing models to better predict where mosquito breeding grounds may occur in the future.

On 2 February 2020, we celebrate World Wetlands Day to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and our planet. This year’s edition highlights the connection between water, wetlands, and life.

Water scarcity is one of the greatest threats faced by humanity of our time – in 2019, more than two billion people experience high water stress (UN-Water 2019) and approximately four billion people suffer from severe water scarcity for at least one month per year (Mekonnen and Hoekstra 2016). This worsening problem increases the risk of international conflict over water resources breaking out, given that there are over 270 transboundary river basins, and three-quarters of UN Member States share at least one river or lake basin with a neighbour (UN News 2017).

Translated by: Isabel Zetina 

El 2 de febrero de 2020 celebramos el Día Mundial de los Humedales para concienciar al mundo sobre el papel vital de los humedales para las personas y nuestro planeta. La edición de este año destaca la conexión entre el agua, los humedales y la vida.

Translated by: Isabel Zetina

Water in the atmosphere, in the soil, in rivers and oceans is in continuous exchange via the global water cycle. This is commonly thought to be the circular movement of water that evaporates from the Earth's surface, rises on warm updrafts into the atmosphere, and condenses into clouds. It is transported by the wind as water vapour, and eventually falls back to the Earth’s surface as rain or snow.

Data has become one of the most valuable resources of the 21st century. Indeed, data can be considered the most important input when it comes to make informed decisions. The recent global pandemic crisis highlighted the vital role of data for reporting accurate case numbers and outbreaks, identifying the most vulnerable demographics, and understanding the most effective vaccines, to mention few. Data also plays a key role when it comes to sustainability.

Merci à Ekaterina Samolygo d'avoir traduit cet article volontairement.

Translated by: Isabel Zetina

How do you personally and professionally relate to water and/or space technologies?

Personally, I was always connected with natural environments and would often visit mountain streams and waterfalls. My professional experiences with both water and space technologies started in 2004 when I worked at the Amazonian Manatee Project in a nature reserve in Amazonas, Brazil.

Describe experience relating to water and space technologies

I grew up in a country (France) where water is freely available. The drought in 2003 was considered a one-time event. I had no single lesson on climate change at school. Despite this background, I was raised aware of the links between social and environmental inequality on a global scale.

Describe experience relating to water and space technologies

I grew up in a country (France) where water is freely available. The drought in 2003 was considered a one-time event. I had no single lesson on climate change at school. Despite this background, I was raised aware of the links between social and environmental inequality on a global scale.

World Water Day, celebrated each year on March 22nd, since 1993, celebrates water and raises awareness of the ongoing global water crisis. The theme this year is Valuing Water. Much more than just price, water has huge value for households, food, culture, health, education, and the environment (UN Water 2021).