1. Context

Water is indispensable to all forms of life, but also to our daily lives and economic activities, with ever-increasing needs. Today, water is at the heart of the policies of every country in the world, whether developed, emerging or developing. All agree that it has become urgent to meet a twofold challenge with regard to water: on the one hand, to provide universal access to drinking water and sanitation, and on the other, to halt the degradation of water resources and, more generally, of aquatic ecosystems. Faced with the consequences of demographic growth, increasing urbanization, economic development (industrialization, intensive farming and livestock breeding), tourism and climate change with its risks of flooding or drought depending on the region, it is essential to (continue to) mobilize to protect water resources.