How do you personally and professionally relate to water? 

Growing up in Israel, water scarcity was a constant backdrop to my childhood. The arid climate and frequent droughts shaped my relationship with water from an early age. One vivid memory that remains stamped in my mind is the series of TV campaigns highlighting the importance of water conservation. I recall sitting in front of the television, concerned by the urgency conveyed in those campaigns. The images of dry landscapes and the emphasis on every drop of water as precious left a lasting impression.

Imagine a world where your internet is delivered not through cables or cell towers but a vast swarm of orbiting satellites. That world is a very different place. Political borders are no longer communication boundaries. Your phone works just as well in the US as it does in Nigeria and Australia and Cambodia. You can communicate with people on the other side of the planet near the physical limits of information transmission, unconstrained by slow cable networks.

Translated by: Isabel Zetina 

Introduction

Land subsidence is a global phenomenon and is defined as:

“a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth's surface due to removal or displacement of subsurface earth materials”  - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2021)

Pourriez-vous boire votre propre urine ? Pour la majorité, cette mesure ne serait prise que dans les cas les plus extrêmes. Cependant, les astronautes de la Station Spatiale Internationale (SSI ou ISS, Internationale Space Station, en anglais) boivent leur urine recyclée tous les jours depuis 10 ans. En 2008, l’SSI installe un Système de Récupération des Eaux (Water Recovery System en anglais) a bord de la station, permettant de recycler les eaux usées en transformant les urines, la sueur et l’humidité atmosphérique en eau potable.

Merci à Martin Sarret d'avoir traduit cet article volontairement.

Translated by: Isabel Zetina 

Introduction

Land subsidence is a global phenomenon and is defined as:

“a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth's surface due to removal or displacement of subsurface earth materials”  - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2021)

How would you feel about drinking your own urine? To most, it is a measure that would only be taken in the direst of circumstances. However, astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have been drinking recycled urine every day for the past decade. In 2008, the ISS installed the Water Recovery System, a wastewater recycling device which converts urine, sweat, and atmospheric moisture into drinking water. This device has allowed the ISS to be much more self-sufficient and devices like it could serve to more sustainably produce clean water on Earth.  

Merci à Martin Sarret d'avoir traduit cet article volontairement.

Translated by: Isabel Zetina 

 Traduit de l'anglais par Mussa Kachunga Stanis

Introduction

L’affaissement de terrain est un phénomène mondial et se définit comme :

    "Un tassement progressif ou un affaissement soudain de la surface de la Terre dû à l'enlèvement ou au déplacement de matériaux terrestres souterrains" - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2021)

How would you feel about drinking your own urine? To most, it is a measure that would only be taken in the direst of circumstances. However, astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have been drinking recycled urine every day for the past decade. In 2008, the ISS installed the Water Recovery System, a wastewater recycling device which converts urine, sweat, and atmospheric moisture into drinking water. This device has allowed the ISS to be much more self-sufficient and devices like it could serve to more sustainably produce clean water on Earth.  

Even 115 years later, the Great Baltimore Fire—which burned down much of the city of Baltimore in the United States—still carries important lessons in standardization. Firefighters from hundreds of kilometres away were sent to assist in putting out the fire, but they could do little to help because their hose couplings did not fit Baltimore’s fire hydrants – meaning, the fire hoses were not standardized. The lack of standardization turned hundreds of firefighters into spectators as the city burned (OGC, ISO & IH, 2018, p.

During the summer season tropical cyclones (TC) tend to cause flood disasters over coastal areas. In ancient times fishermen along the coast of China predicted the coming of tropical cyclones by observing weather phenomena. They observed the shape of clouds and the sunset glow to anticipate them. Tropical cyclones occur in various places where they are named differently as well. In the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific the term hurricane is used. The same type of disturbance in the Northwest Pacific is called a typhoon.

Pourriez-vous boire votre propre urine ? Pour la majorité, cette mesure ne serait prise que dans les cas les plus extrêmes. Cependant, les astronautes de la Station Spatiale Internationale (SSI ou ISS, Internationale Space Station, en anglais) boivent leur urine recyclée tous les jours depuis 10 ans. En 2008, l’SSI installe un Système de Récupération des Eaux (Water Recovery System en anglais) a bord de la station, permettant de recycler les eaux usées en transformant les urines, la sueur et l’humidité atmosphérique en eau potable.

Imagine a world where your internet is delivered not through cables or cell towers but a vast swarm of orbiting satellites. That world is a very different place. Political borders are no longer communication boundaries. Your phone works just as well in the US as it does in Nigeria and Australia and Cambodia. You can communicate with people on the other side of the planet near the physical limits of information transmission, unconstrained by slow cable networks.

 Traduit de l'anglais par Mussa Kachunga Stanis

Introduction

L’affaissement de terrain est un phénomène mondial et se définit comme :

    "Un tassement progressif ou un affaissement soudain de la surface de la Terre dû à l'enlèvement ou au déplacement de matériaux terrestres souterrains" - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2021)

How would you feel about drinking your own urine? To most, it is a measure that would only be taken in the direst of circumstances. However, astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have been drinking recycled urine every day for the past decade. In 2008, the ISS installed the Water Recovery System, a wastewater recycling device which converts urine, sweat, and atmospheric moisture into drinking water. This device has allowed the ISS to be much more self-sufficient and devices like it could serve to more sustainably produce clean water on Earth.  

Even 115 years later, the Great Baltimore Fire—which burned down much of the city of Baltimore in the United States—still carries important lessons in standardization. Firefighters from hundreds of kilometres away were sent to assist in putting out the fire, but they could do little to help because their hose couplings did not fit Baltimore’s fire hydrants – meaning, the fire hoses were not standardized. The lack of standardization turned hundreds of firefighters into spectators as the city burned (OGC, ISO & IH, 2018, p.

Translated by Dr. Mengyi Jin

夏季来临时，热带气旋常在沿海地区引发洪涝灾害。早在古代，中国沿海的渔民就通过观察天气现象来预测热带气旋的来临，例如云层的形状和晚霞的变化。热带气旋发生在全球各地，不同地区对它的称呼也有所不同。在北大西洋、中北太平洋和东北太平洋地区，人们通常称之为“飓风”；而在西北太平洋地区，热带气旋常被称为“台风”。

近年来，热带气旋对美国、中国以及其他亚洲国家造成了重大损失。因此，发展基于太空的热带气旋监测技术，预测其路径并进行预警，对于保障民众的生命安全、保护渔业生产以及海上作业等具有重要意义。

双频降水雷达（Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar，简称 DPR）是由美国国家航空航天局（NASA）与日本宇宙航空研究开发机构（JAXA）联合开发的天基雷达系统，其搭载于热带降雨测量任务（TRMM）和全球降水观测计划（GPM）的卫星上（https://gpm.nasa.gov/missions/GPM/DPR），用于热带气旋的监测与科学研究（NASA，2018）。

Pourriez-vous boire votre propre urine ? Pour la majorité, cette mesure ne serait prise que dans les cas les plus extrêmes. Cependant, les astronautes de la Station Spatiale Internationale (SSI ou ISS, Internationale Space Station, en anglais) boivent leur urine recyclée tous les jours depuis 10 ans. En 2008, l’SSI installe un Système de Récupération des Eaux (Water Recovery System en anglais) a bord de la station, permettant de recycler les eaux usées en transformant les urines, la sueur et l’humidité atmosphérique en eau potable.

How do you personally and professionally relate to water? 

Growing up in Israel, water scarcity was a constant backdrop to my childhood. The arid climate and frequent droughts shaped my relationship with water from an early age. One vivid memory that remains stamped in my mind is the series of TV campaigns highlighting the importance of water conservation. I recall sitting in front of the television, concerned by the urgency conveyed in those campaigns. The images of dry landscapes and the emphasis on every drop of water as precious left a lasting impression.

Contribute your inputs on the themes proposed by the co-hosts for the UN 2023 Water Conference interactive dialogues!