Water security: Bringing together international sustainability experts

• Summer School on the topic of „Global Solutions for Water Security" in Hannover
• Four days of intensive exchange between international experts on solutions to drinking water scarcity
• Public votes on the best project
• Cooperation with Falling Walls Foundation is the first focus project in Hannover Re Foundation's sustainability track

Berlin, 5 September 2023. To promote ideas on how to address increasing water scarcity and water-related dangers worldwide, the Hannover Re Foundation and the Falling Walls Foundation are inviting 40 international sustainability experts to the Summer School in Hannover from 27 to 30 September 2023 under the motto "Global Solutions for Water Security." The Summer School is the first focus project in sustainability that the Hannover Re Foundation is supporting as part of its expanded mission statement.

The goal of the Summer School is to bring together young experts and students from around the world, to promote and develop new ideas that address the immediate needs of the community while considering the long-term impacts of the climate crisis. "With our foundation work, our current sustainability focus is on climate change adaptation and resilience building. Water security is a major challenge that we need to address to give back," says Silke Sehm, Chair of the Board of Trustees for Sustainability, Hannover Re Foundation, and Member of the Hannover Re Executive Board. "The participants of the Summer School, with their broad expertise, have the potential to highlight projects that really make a difference and reach many people. Previous projects and the international orientation of the Falling Walls Foundation have convinced us, and I am pleased that we can now help shape projects like the Summer School with the expansion of our foundation's purpose." In addition to the traditional mainstay of art patronage, the Hannover Re Foundation has also been supporting projects in the field of sustainability since amending the foundation’s statute at the end of 2022, and in particular those concerned with adapting to climate change.

The climate crisis not only threatens drinking water resources worldwide, but droughts and floods also threaten the livelihoods of many people. According to the United Nations, the supply of clean drinking water is not secure for 15% of the world's rural population (see UN Water - at the center of the climate crisis). In Germany, water supply is increasingly becoming an issue, prompting the German government to adopt the National Water Strategy in March 2023. During the four days of the Summer School, participants will develop solutions and impact approaches for technical, political, social, and business projects, bringing together their knowledge of early warning systems, water resource use solutions and innovative water treatment. "Through hands-on experiences, the Summer School empowers participants to make a difference in their communities and demonstrates that everyone can contribute to addressing the grand challenges of our time," says Anja Schoch, Head of Falling Walls Engage, Falling Walls Foundation.

On 30 September the participating teams will present their ideas to the public. At the closing event at 4 p.m. in the Aufhof at Osterstraße 13 in Hannover, students from Hannover's universities and the general public are invited to vote for the best project of the Summer School. Registration is possible via the link.

The most innovative ideas will be presented at the Falling Walls Science Summit, which will take place in Berlin from 7 to 9 November 2023. The prestigious science conference has been organized by the Falling Walls Foundation since 2009 and established itself as an international forum for world-leading scientists focused on scientific breakthroughs. Through its numerous projects, including Falling Walls Engage and Falling Walls Lab that participate in the Summer School, the Falling Walls Foundation is committed to bringing the potential of science in addressing the greatest challenges of our time closer to the public.

More information on the Summer School of the Hannover Re Foundation and the Falling Wall Foundation is available at https://falling-walls.com/summer-school/

About the Falling Walls Foundation
The Falling Walls Foundation was inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989 and the dawn of a new era of freedom. The nonprofit foundation promotes breakthrough thinking and is building a growing network of leaders in academia, business, and the public sector to tackle grand challenges and bring groundbreaking ideas to society. More: www.falling-walls.com

PRESS CONTACT

Lena Taran
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About Hannover Re Foundation
Under the motto "Give back to the future!", the Hannover Re Foundation helps to preserve creative scope for future generations. In doing so, we are formulating a mission for ourselves: In a time marked by great challenges, we are helping to raise social awareness and constructively confront change. In doing so, we focus on two areas: In the area of art, we support artists and projects that address social issues and focus on discourse and possible solutions to problems. In the area of sustainability, we support projects that help mitigate the consequences of climate change or that help people adapt to the consequences of climate change. More at Hannover Re Foundation
Press contact: Verena Lilge, [email protected], +49 511 5604-0101