Los retos de la gestión sostenible del agua en tiempos de cambio

05.Nov - 05. Nov, 2026 Cod. W09-26

~Open and free activity
~18:00h
~Miramar Palace, San Sebastián or online

Lecture by Nuria Hernández and Víctor Peñas on water and the major challenges of our time.

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Description

The aquatic environment, in all its forms—rivers and streams, lakes and wetlands, aquifers, springs, deltas and estuaries, as well as the sea itself—holds the most important renewable natural resource for sustaining all forms of life on the planet of water: Earth. However, water is much more than a resource. It is a natural heritage, an eco-social asset and a common good that must be protected and preserved from the perspective of environmental sustainability, so that future generations can continue to benefit from this irreplaceable asset.

Water management faces increasingly complex challenges arising from the pressure that human activity places on water resources, the degradation of aquatic ecosystems, the impacts of climate change and the growing competition among different water uses. Addressing these challenges requires rethinking traditional management models and moving towards policies that integrate environmental sustainability, water security and society's needs. This course will provide an overview of the main water-related challenges at both the local and national levels and will examine the key factors needed to move towards more sustainable water management.

Topics to be addressed include water scarcity, the protection of rivers and aquifers, adaptation to climate change, planning for droughts and floods, and the role of governance, information and public participation in decision-making.

All public
University student
Students not from university
Teachers
Professionals

Program

05-11-2026

18:00 - 18:30

“El agua en España: retos actuales y posibles soluciones“

Language: Spanish

Los retos del agua requieren respuestas capaces de afrontar retos cada vez más complejos.

Nuria Hernández Mora | Experta sénior en políticas de agua y adaptación al cambio climático

18:30 - 19:00

“El medio acuático en la CAPV: Principales amenazas y propuestas de mejora en clave de sostenibilidad ambiental“

Language: Spanish

La conservación del medio acuático es un reto de primera magnitud, porque detrás de la salud de los ecosistemas está la salud de las personas

Víctor Peñas Sánchez | URA - Técnico de sensibilización de la Agencia Vasca del Agua

Eva Caballero kazetariak hizlariekin elkarrizketa izango du hitzaldia amaitutakoan / La periodista Eva Caballero mantendrá un diálogo con los ponentes una vez finalizada la conferencia

Speakers

Nuria Hernández Mora

Senior Expert in Water Policy and Climate Change Adaptation

Nuria Hernández-Mora is a senior researcher and consultant with more than 30 years of experience in water governance and climate change adaptation. She holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Seville (Spain) and master's degrees from Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison (USA). Her work focuses on drought risk management, climate change adaptation strategies, institutional reform, urban water management, public participation and the human right to water. She has worked for national and regional governments, the European Commission and the World Bank. She is the author of more than 100 academic publications, technical reports and opinion articles. She serves on the boards of the New Water Culture Foundation (Fundación Nueva Cultura del Agua), SEO/BirdLife and the Friends of the National Museum of Natural Sciences Association. She is currently a Senior Consultant at Fresh Thoughts Consulting.

Víctor Peñas Sánchez

Awareness-raising officer at the Basque Water Agency | URA

Víctor Peñas holds a PhD in Geography and is a technical specialist at the Basque Water Agency (URA), where he develops initiatives in environmental education and awareness, science communication, citizen participation and volunteering, as well as projects aimed at the sustainable management of aquatic environments in collaboration with public authorities and social stakeholders. He is the author of numerous publications on water, landscape and sustainability, including Llueve a gusto de todos (Espasa), Destejiendo tópicos del agua (Tomás y Valiente Foundation), El paisaje fluvial del río Zadorra a través de las imágenes (Provincial Council of Álava), The National Hydrological Plan and its Implications for the Basque Country and Towards Sustainable Water Management in Álava (Bakeaz), as well as Water and Human Development (Solidaridad Internacional). His work approaches water management from a holistic perspective, combining sustainability, citizen participation and the conservation of aquatic ecosystems. Convinced that protecting water also requires cultural change, he promotes projects that bring citizens closer to aquatic environments and encourage collective commitment to their conservation.