Abstract

The abundance of water poses a necessary though not always sufficient precondition for ecosystems and biodiversity to thrive. When it rains, we may think we have enough of it, but in fact water is among the planetary boundaries, and is under severe stress. The Water Framework Directive calls for integrated water management and establishes a novel framework for ecological water quality. Still, there are intricate interplays with the economy to consider. We need to mobilize a comprehensive knowledge base, involving economics with health sciences, natural sciences and social sciences in order to deal with the challenges. The lecture will take you on a guided tour from the pure theories to the empirical evidence, outlining a consolidated approach to reconcile economy and ecology in water planning and beyond.

Short CV

Professor Mikael Skou Andersen, PhD, Department of Environmental Science at Aarhus University, and his colleagues take part in the EU-funded FP7 research project EPI-WATER. With a firm basis in social sciences and a degree in Environmental Studies (AU), Mikael Skou Andersen has spent decades to cultivate cross-disciplinary linkages with natural sciences and health sciences so as to develop enduring approaches to reconcile ecology and economy. He has published articles with collaborators in international journals of atmospheric physics, climate change, health sciences as well as environmental economics and policy sciences. He also has been an expert providing advice to OECD, European institutions and the government of China as well as to numerous research funding bodies.

What is a Fellows' Seminar?

The AIAS Fellows' Seminar is a session of seminars held by the AIAS fellows or by other speakers proposed by the fellows. In each seminar, one fellow will present and discuss his/her current research and research project, closing off with a question and discussion session.

All seminars are held in English and open to the public. Registration to the seminar is not necessary. Read more about the AIAS Fellows' Seminar here.