Tipping points: Desertification, Drought and Climate Justice

From the Sahel region of Africa to the arid lands of the American West, climate change is amplifying desertification and drought in many regions of the world. As droughts intensify, “tipping points” loom: sudden and dramatic changes that can jeopardize entire ecosystems and societies and exacerbate environmental injustices. Our most vital resource, water, is at stake.

What research and what solutions can be developed to mitigate water scarcity in a time of ever-increasing demand, avert dangerous tipping points, and manage water resources in a fair and equitable way? How can western science and the knowledge of local communities be integrated to help decision-making and tip positive change towards sustainability?

Guest speakers:

• Régis Ferrière, Professor at ENS - PSL and Director of the UMI iGlobes;
• Sharon Megdal, Director of the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Arizona;
• Nikki Tulley, doctoral student at the department of environmental science, University of Arizona.

Presentations from speakers will be followed by a conversation facilitated by Germain L’hostis, student at ESPCI-PSL and member of “PSL Anthropocène”, a student initiative for climate-change education in university curricula.”