Water pollution, global water shortages and fisheries management are the issues set to dominate a "Water of Life" congress in Dublin attended by many of the world's leading freshwater biologists.
More than 1,200 scientists from 64 countries are attending the congress at University College Dublin. They all work in the area of limnology, a multidisciplinary science dealing with studies of freshwater habitats, including lakes, rivers, streams, reservoirs, ponds, aquafers, bogs, marshes and peatlands.
The congress is staged every three years by the 3,000-member International Association of Limnology.
Two Irish scientists are due to give keynote addresses. Dr Martin O'Grady of the Central Fisheries Board will outline how rivers and lakes can be rehabilitated to enhance conditions for fish survival. Dr John Feehan of UCD's Department of Zoology, an authority on Ireland's natural peatlands, will speak on his latest research.
The conference was opened last night by the Minister of State for the environment, Mr Dan Wallace, who underlined the association's role in highlighting "the vital importance of water resources for the survival of life but also global aspects of the resource".
He outlined how Ireland's development co-operation policy contained a commitment to "support the intrinsic human right to access to the basics of life", among the most basic of which is clean, safe water.
While serious pollution was not a significant problem in Irish waters, his Department was promoting a catchment-based strategy to address concerns about eutrophication of rivers and lakes caused by excessive phosphorus arising from agriculture, sewage discharges and industry.
The success of various policy initiatives on sustainable water management, whether at UN, EU, national or local level, was "critically dependent on increasing our understanding of the aquatic environment", he said.
Some 700 papers will be presented, ranging from fundamental studies of natural processes in fresh water to matters of wide public interest, such as environmental pollution and the rapidly increasing demand for water supply, according to Dr Declan Murray of the organising committee. Human populations simply could not survive without abundant water, and the work of limnologists is of ever-increasing importance as the demand for water grows.
