The Winona State University Geoscience Earth Talks Series will present Fulbright Scholar Martin Thoms with “Water Wars: The Battle for Determining Who Gets the Water!” at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15, in the Science Laboratory Center, room 120.
Competition for water has produced an array of environmental, economic and social impacts. There have been more than 100 instances of armed conflict associated with water around the world in the last 50 years. This is a result of more than half of the world’s population not having access to fresh drinking water, and up to 12 million people will die from water related illness this year alone. This presentation will outline water conflicts and provide an interdisciplinary approach for determining environmental water allocations.
Thoms is the Director of the Riverine Landscapes Research Laboratory and Chair of the department of geography and environmental science at the University of New England. He is an internationally recognized scientist in the field of river ecosystems specializing in connections between freshwater ecology, hydrology and geomorphology.
Thoms is a 2012 Fulbright Senior Research Scholar and has been conducting collaborative research with the Large River Lab at WSU and the U.S. Geological Survey Organization in La Crosse. Thoms is currently the Regional Editor (Asia/Pacific) for the international journal “River Research and Applications.” He has in excess of 200 scientific journal publications and values making his research used, not just useful.
This presentation is free and open to the public.
For more information about the Geoscience Earth Talks Series or event descriptions, contact Toby Dogwiler at 507-457-5260.
For more information on research and educational activities during Professor Thoms’ visit as a Fulbright Fellow, contact Michael Delong or Professor Thoms at 507-457-2458.
