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On this page, you'll find a report on all the actions and activities initiated at the University of Namur in connection with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #14: "Aquatic Life."
Social impact and actions
Institutional initiatives
Awareness-raising initiatives
Exhibition | "Santé de nos rivières: en péril?"
The exhibition, organized by Confluent des Savoirs (CDS), UNamur's scientific mediation unit, presented the various stages of the European Interreg DIADeM project. The tour was divided into two sections, one for adults and the other for young people (aged 9-14 - adapted to school levels from 3rd primary to 2nd secondary). As part of the Festival International Nature Namur, a booklet for young people created by the CDS was made available free of charge. The exhibition can be rented on request. More info.
Exhibition | Water in all its forms
Staff and students were invited to exhibit their best photos on the theme of water at Quai 22 as part of the 27th edition of the Festival International Nature de Namur (FINN). Read more.
Mares at the Domaine d'Haugimont
Located in the heart of the Condruzian countryside, the Domaine d'Haugimont lies in the commune of Gesves, 18 km southeast of Namur. Since 1978, it has been an exceptional teaching and research facility for students and scientists from the University of Namur. It is also open to the public and to schools for training, discovery and leisure activities.
Project: the creation of 6 ponds on the Haugimont estate, in collaboration with SPW Recherche.
Fishing
UNamur has leased back for 3 years two ponds of 85 and 95 ares in enclosed water, located on the edge of the forest, mainly for pike and carp fishing. It also rents a 700 m stretch of the Samson for wild brown trout fishing (restocking prohibited since 1979).
Collaborations and partnerships
SIENSANO - CoVWWSurv - National surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in wastewater
UNamur, in collaboration with UAntwerp and UGhent, is working on the COVWWSURV. This involves setting up surveillance of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) via wastewater analysis, with the aim of early detection of any significant evolution in virus circulation in the population. This surveillance system covers around 45% of the Belgian population, through twice-weekly analysis of wastewater entering treatment plants.
Partnership with the University of Lorraine
The URBE and UR AFPA are both experts in aquaculture. The aim of this project is to understand the effects of domestication on the reproduction and well-being of new species in aquaculture. The idea of this research partnership is to involve more members of the research units in inter-institutional collaborations and to bring together complementary skills. The research project will also fund a minimum of 3 theses, one of which will be in cotutelle and the other two in co-promotion. Find out more.
River clean up
Participation of a UNamur team in Operation River Clean Up. Learn more.
Partnership with the Entre-Sambre-Et-Meuse Park
The Entre Sambre et Meuse National Park (ESEM) extends over the communes of Couvin, Viroinval, Momignies, Froidchapelle and Chimay, a place brimming with geological sites to be enhanced. With its expertise in geography, geology and biodiversity conservation, UNamur is one of its partners and will make its knowledge and experience available to promote and preserve this exceptional natural heritage. Learn more.
Interreg ORION project
Using a multidisciplinary approach, the ORION cross-border project aims to diagnose and predict the quality of aquatic environments in the Meuse watershed. To achieve this, it is studying the various pressures on these natural environments, such as chemical and microbiological pollution (bacteria, viruses, antibiotic resistance), against a backdrop of global warming. The study and monitoring of these environments aims to anticipate the effects of pollution (assessment of vulnerabilities and resilience capacities) and to take measures for the sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems.
The rehabilitation of Atlantic salmon in the Mosan basin
The aim of this Structural Funds 2021-2027 project is to realistically assess the impact of an increase in water temperature, based on the estimates of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), on various aspects linked to the successful restoration of Atlantic salmon in a climate change context.
Research institutes
Institute of Life, Earth and Environment (ILEE)
Research at the Institute of Life, Earth and Environment (ILEE) fits in with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations. For example, the impact of multiple stress factors and/or pollutants on both organisms and ecosystems is studied, and solutions are sought to strengthen their resistance and resilience and/or limit harmful products.
In addition, by prospecting and characterizing geological resources and integrating human use over the centuries, from antiquity to the current Anthropocene, ILEE contributes to better sustainable management of natural resources, integrating architecture and art in particular. The transition to more sustainable agriculture is investigated through the concept of ecosystem services, using mapping, modeling and integrated assessment. The consequences of climate change on migrations or interactions between the various agents responsible for the transmission of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases are also at the heart of ILEE's research.
Unité de recherche en biologie environnementale et évolutive (URBE)
The URBE's vocation is to study aquatic organisms and their interactions with the environment. It combines comparative biology (several species studied) and integrative biology (several levels of biological integration). The research teams are organized around four main areas, from the study of genomes to ecosystems, organisms and populations. Cutting-edge laboratory techniques are combined with field studies in various aquatic ecosystems. The Unit is closely involved in student training, notably via the Master's degree in Organismal Biology and Ecology co-organized with UCL.
International conference Ecobim 2022 - Long-term impacts of pollution on humans and ecosystems
Today, the pollution of oceans, rivers and soils is considered a major parameter of global change, on a par with global warming and biodiversity loss. The thousands of chemical substances (pesticides, microplastics, metals, etc.) continually discharged into natural habitats have long-term impacts on both human health and ecosystems. The aim of this conference is to bring several scientists up to date on the long-term risks of pollution, notably by including in the program a conference for the general public - Long-term Impacts of Pollution on Humans and Ecosystems. More info on the conference...
Spin-off
e-biom
Created with the support of SPW Research's FIRST Spin-off program, e-biom is a biological and environmental consulting company associated with a multidisciplinary laboratory is specialized in bio-monitoring, ecological and biological studies.
TRAQUA
Created with the support of SPW Research's FIRST Spin-off program, the TRAQUA spin-off is a consultancy specializing in water flow analysis and monitoring techniques. It offers technological solutions and customized expertise for all hydrogeological or hydrological issues (analysis, diagnosis, monitoring).
Research
Discover all publications related to the sustainable development goal "Aquatic Life" on the UNamur research portal.
Some examples:
- Aquaculture waste in Vietnam, dangerous for the ecosystem. P. Kestemont. Learn more.
- Siensano project: CoVWWSurv - National surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in wastewater. B. Muylkens. Learn more.
- Understanding epigenetics to conserve biodiversity. F. Silvestre. Learn more.
- Meuse Saumon 2000 project: Rehabilitation of an Atlantic salmon population in the Meuse basin. P. Kestemont. Learn more about the Meuse Saumon 2000 project...
- Life4Fish: Luminus and its partners (UNamur, ULiège, Profish technologies, EDF R&D), supported by the European Commission, decided to test and validate different means of protecting two species of highly migratory fish in the Meuse, the European eel and the Atlantic salmon. The Life4Fish program was born. Its aim is to combine the protection of these two species with the sustainable operation of hydroelectric power plants. Through Life4Fish, the partners aim to make an active contribution to biodiversity conservation in the context of renewable energy production. P. Kestemont. More information
Teaching
- Field placements in aquatic ecology for biology students
- OBE master's module in Ecology and management of aquatic environments offered and managed by UNamur
- Scientific mediation programs on water by Confluent des savoirs
