SIL 2016

Our planet is under pressure due to increased demand for freshwater. The availability and suitability of water resources are threatened by human influences, directly, through globally unbalancing the slow and fast water cycles and impairing water quality, and indirectly through the adverse effects of climate change. Many freshwater ecosystems are deteriorating in quantity and quality. As a result, an increasing number of people are chronically short of water. In this context, limnology must represent the answer to the planetary water crisis as we need more science and more scientists to urgently face a sustainable and effective freshwater recovery. This need can be satisfied only improving our knowledge in Limnological Sciences and the people awareness of what science can do for a more sustainable use of freshwater ecosystems.
Thus, as water scientists we have two missions: 1) to improve our knowledge of freshwater ecosystem functioning and 2) to make our knowledge a tool handy for environmental managers and friendly for people. We are confident that this Congress will help us as to accomplish these missions as scientists and as human beings.