Every week in the summer The duty takes you on the side roads of university life. A proposal that is both scholarly and intimate, to be picked up like a postcard during the summer season. Another stopover in southern countries with the students of the “Urgence Eau” project.
From our research team was born an awareness project (mainly in Quebec) and actions in the countries of the South. Entitled “Urgence Eau” (UQAM Foundation), it aims to enhance the training of our master’s and doctoral students through their involvement in the preparation of a humanitarian mission devoted to water resources, then through their participation.
Summer is a good time to take stock of our motivations to carry out this work in parallel with our more professional objectives. We share them here with you.
Antoine, PhD student, vulnerability of drinking water intakes, UQAM Global climate change, induced by our way of life, modifies the stages of the water cycle at all scales, from that of a continent to that of a metropolis. The first consequence of these changes is that water resources are running out, and better anticipating this issue should be a priority.
Bearing the full brunt of the rise of the oceans, the populations of the islands of the South Pacific also suffer from a severe lack of scientific training on site to have a good management of freshwater resources and to adapt to future changes. It is in this context that I decided to take part in the “Urgence Eau” project.
We, trained and educated students, have a real responsibility to support the most vulnerable populations. This is possible by providing them with the scientific tools necessary to improve their knowledge of the water cycle on the scale of their territory and by offering additional prospective tools so as to anticipate the consequences of the climate changes in progress.
Cécile, PhD student, urban climates, UQAM During my university education, I had the opportunity to become aware of global environmental problems, and particularly of issues related to the water cycle. I am deeply revolted by the global inequalities linked to the war for blue gold, and by the lack of action by most of those who would have the power to change things. This is why I decided to specialize in the study of the impact of urbanization on climate and water resources. I hope to find a way to acquire and use new knowledge, to make things move and rebalance things, if only on my scale.
The possibility of getting involved in this humanitarian project is an exceptional opportunity for me to bring my help in a truly tangible way. In the South Pacific islands particularly affected by climate change and disadvantaged in terms of access to drinking water, the knowledge I have acquired could have real benefits.
I also hope that this immersion in the daily life of these populations will allow me to put my achievements into perspective, and to commit myself in a more enlightened and more determined way to the rest of my professional career. I hope to continue this fight against the harmful lifestyles that we Westerners continue to adopt, whatever the consequences this may have on the rest of the planet.
Coralie, PhD student, characterization of groundwater resources, Polytechnique Montréal What seduced me in this project is the desire to exchange know-how between two peoples who have different habits, culture and thinking. I like to look for unique solutions that can only come about through the existence of a group.
In a world where difference is considered rather negatively, being able to participate in a project where the objective is to use our differences (skills) to find solutions together gives me the impression of moving towards a more constructive society. It is extremely enriching, in my opinion, to put oneself in the same working conditions as another person, to understand the real issues that they must integrate into their choices.
Laurence, research professional, resilience of drinking water intakes, UQAM It is important for me to know that the aid we provide is in line with the needs of the communities. Our reflex as academics might be to believe that our way of doing things is the best…. In our communications with the local populations, we really try not to impose our ideas. I think that a large part of the work, in this kind of project, is to ensure that our expertise makes it possible above all to increase the autonomy within the communities.
Janie, Professor of Hydrogeology, ETS Encourage the next generation to pursue a career in the water sector! This is my motivation for participating in the “Urgence Eau” project. In Quebec, as in Vanuatu, job opportunities in the water sector seem to me to be unknown.
I did my schooling in Quebec, one of the places on earth where water is visibly abundant, and yet, it took until my second year of university before (finally) receiving a first course related to water. Many will have already made their career choice by then and will likely have moved on to another, more valued field.
As a society, we need this succession to ensure adequate protection and use of water resources. The “Urgence Eau” project is for me a showcase through which I give myself the mission of communicating my passion for hydrogeology to the youngest in order to arouse their curiosity.
Florent, professor in hydrogeology, UQAM I have the cruel feeling that we are missing the message of the IPCC. Time passes, our environment is deteriorating more and more rapidly, with no plan B on the horizon. Our new baccalaureate students already belong to a generation born into climate change, anomalies and environmental degradation of all kinds: the unacceptable for the oldest, like me, has become the norm for the youngest. There is confusion between adaptation to consequences, well assimilated in our way of life, and adaptation of practices to minimize global impacts.
Today, to provoke a surge of conscience, I place a lot of hope in actions such as “Urgence Eau”, a tool to explain and to show everyone that our choices have made us the slaveholders of modern times. We abuse environmental resources to the detriment of populations who are unaware of the advantages (comfort, health, studies, leisure) from which we over-benefit.
And our way of life drastically reduces the life expectancy of people far out of sight in the southern hemisphere. With the involvement of our graduate students, we must open the eyes of our fellow citizens to this sad situation so that all of us can make the right decisions. If we academics don’t commit to waking up our world now, who will?