‘It is our responsibility to provide a sustainable environment to our future generations’

Senior scientist emphasizes water conservation and sustainable resource management for future generations at international conference on environmental sustainability.

“It is our responsibility to provide a sustainable environment that is rich in natural resources to our future generations,” senior scientist and Director of the Russian Academy’s Petrozavodsk Water Institute Filatov Nikolai Nikolavevich said in Belagavi on Thursday.

He was speaking after inaugurating a two-day International Conference on Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Adaptation Strategies at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) here.

In his keynote address, Dr. Nikolavevich focussed on the critical importance of water conservation and sustainable resource management.

“Water is the foundation of life, yet its availability and quality are under increasing threat due to climate change, pollution, overuse and mismanagement,” he said.

“If we do not act now, future generations may face severe water shortages,” he said.

“Only around 2.5% of the world’s water is freshwater and an even smaller fraction is accessible to human use. We need to address challenges such as eutrophication (enrichment of water with organic material), water pollution, climate warming, microplastics and invasive species to ensure the preservation of water resources for future generations,” he said.

VTU Vice-Chancellor Vidyashankar S. spoke of the interconnectedness of environmental sustainability and climate change adaptation.