New director @ WaterCentre
Associate Professor Zahra Kalantari has been appointed new director for WaterCentre@KTH.
Zahra Kalantari joined KTH's department of sustainable development, environmental science and engineering (SEED) last year as an associate professor. From 1 June she will as director lead the WaterCentre@KTH, replacing David Nilsson who is serving as deputy head of ABE school.
We were curious about Zahra and what she sees in the future for WaterCentre so we asked her to answer three short questions:
How does it feel to have been appointed new director for WaterCentre@KTH?
I am excited to step in as the new director of WaterCentre@KTH. It is humbling to explore the breadth of the excellent research and outreach that is going on at KTH. I look forward to learning more about the water related work that many colleagues do, and helping to form our path into the future together, by supporting the fundamental and applied research developed and strengthening the link with both scientific community and society.
Which are the most important challenges within water according to you?
For me, water is interesting as it is the most important substance in the world for all life on, under and above Earth’s surface - without water, there is no life. Improved water management is an essential component of successful climate mitigation and adaptation strategies and water is also crucial in determining whether the world will achieve the SDGs. The world needs a fundamental shift in how society understands, values and manages water. I believe we at WaterCentre can contribute to be a part of that fundamental shift.
How can WaterCentre contribute to strengthen KTH within water?
There are numerous linkages between water and societal challenges such as climate change, health risks, economic growth, conflicts, management, planning, etc. There are so many aspects of water that require an interdisciplinary approach, and necessitate transdisciplinary collaborations.
By involving parties from all sectors of society and strengthening collaboration with top scientists from other centers and universities, WaterCentre can be a prominent hub for collaboration and innovation on water issues.
Read more about Zahra's work and reserch in this earlier interview.