2025 WAT PRO

13th Annual International Forum on Water
organized by the  Environment Unit of the Athens Institute

Program (Athens Local Time)

14-18 July 2025
9 Chalkokondili Street, 10677 Athens, Greece

(Note 1: the program is organized along time slots and not according to common theme)
(Note 2: at the end of each session questions and discussions will follow)


Monday 14 July 2025


08.30-09.00
Registration

09:00-09:30
Opening and Welcoming Remarks:

  • Gregory T. Papanikos, President, Athens Institute.
09:30-11:00 Session 1
Moderator:
Teodoro Georgiadis, Deputy Head, Environment Unit, Athens Institute & Senior Research Associate, Institute of BioEconomy CNR, Italy.
  1. Junye Wang, Professor, Athabasca University, Canada.
    Title: Modelling of Integrated Terrestrial and Aquatic Systems in Watersheds.
  2. Mary Ghobrial, Professor, National Institute of Oceanography & Fisheries, Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research, Egypt.
    Title: Impact of Restoration Project on Water Quality and Macrophytes Biodiversity of Nile Delta Lake Manzala, Egypt.
  3. Tafadzwa Clementine Maramura, Senior Lecturer, University of the Free State, South Africa.
    Title: Water and Sanitation in South Africa’s Informal Settlements – A Review of Unequal Access.

 

11:00-12:30 Session 2
Moderator: 
Tafadzwa Clementine Maramura, Senior Lecturer, University of the Free State, South Africa.
  1. Teodoro Georgiadis, Senior Research Associate, Institute of BioEconomy CNR, Italy.
    Letizia Cremonini, Researcher, Institute of BioEconomy CNR, Italy.
    Title: Elderly and Disabled People in the Urban Environment: Are they Really Protected by the 15-Minute City Paradigm?
  2. Joanna Klimowicz, Associate Professor, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland.
    Title: Blue and Green Infrastructure to Mitigate Climate Change – Case Study Poland.
  3. Anastasia Nikologianni, Research Fellow, Birmingham City University, UK.
    Title: Landscape Policy and Design as Tools for Sustainable Cities.

 

12:30-14:00 Session 3
Moderator: 
Anastasia Nikologianni, Research Fellow, Birmingham City University, UK.
  1. Lin Zhen, Professor, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, China.
    Yunfeng Hu, Professor, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, China.
    Yu Xiao, Associate Professor, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, China.
    Title: Restoring Desertification Land: Technology and the Best Practice at Ecological Vulnerable Regions of the World.
  2. Juying Jiao, Professor, Northwest A&F University, China.
    Qi Ling, Master Student, Northwest A&F University, China.
    Title: Response of Microplastic Occurrence and Migration to Heavy Rainstorm in Agricultural Catchment on the Loess Plateau.
  3. Fenli Zheng, Director, Northwest A&F University, China.
    Title: Effect of Spatial Distribution of Slope Erosion-Deposition on Soil Quality Degradation in the Mollisol Region of Northeast China.

14:00-15:00 Lunch

15:00-17:00 Session 4
Moderator: 
Carmina Elena Tolbaru, Assistant Professor, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Romania.
  1. Lavinia Olivia Iancu, Associate Professor, Tibiscus University from Timisoara, Romania.
    Title: The Legal Regime of the Assets Remaining in the Debtor’s Patrimony after the Closure of the Insolvency Procedure.
  2. Alexander Szivos, Assistant Lecturer, University of Pécs, Hungary.
    Title: Environmental Taxation in the European Union.
  3. Sheila Ramalingam, Senior Lecturer, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia.
    Title: War’s Forgotten Victim: The Environment Under Siege.
  4. Malgorzata Hussain, Senior Lecturer, Kingston University, UK.
    Title: Towards Coherence? The UK’s Regulatory Response to Marine Plastic Pollution after Brexit.
  5. Peng Han, Associate Professor, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.
    Ying Cao, Research Assistant, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.
    Title: The Evolving Path of ESG Regulations in Hong Kong in Digital Era.

 

18:00-20:00 Session 5 – Visit Aristotle’s Lyceum

It requires pre-booking

20:30-22:30
Athenian Early Evening Symposium (Sequence of Events: Ongoing Academic Discussions, Dinner, Wine and Water, Music, Dance)

 


Tuesday 15 July 2025


09:30-11:00 Session 6
Moderator:
Xiangzhou Xu, Professor, Dalian University of Technology, China.
  1. Isaac Rampedi, Associate Professor, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
    Title: Reflections on Student Satisfaction about the Teaching, Learning and Assessment in the Environmental Management Masters Coursework Programme at the University of Johannesburg.
  2. Dalius Butkauskas, Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Lithuania.
    Dace Grauda, Associate Professor, Leading Researcher, University of Latvia, Latvia.
    Title: Specificity of Population Genetic Structure of European Perch (Perca Fluviatilis) and Common Roach (Rutilus Rutilus) in the Eastern Baltic Region Based on MtDNA Analysis.
  3. Dace Grauda, Associate Professor, Leading Researcher, University of Latvia, Latvia.
    Dalius Butkauskas, Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Lithuania.
    Title: Assessing Population Genetic Structure, Diversity, and Ploidy in Diverse Organisms Using Combined Molecular and Flow Cytometric Approaches.
  4. Priti Mastakar, Professor, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, India.
    Title: Valuation of the Environmental Services of an Urban Forest: Case Study of ‘Vetal Tekdi’, Pune.

 

11:00-12:30 Session 7
Moderator:
Dace Grauda, Associate Professor, Leading Researcher, University of Latvia, Latvia.
  1. Martin Knez, Professor, Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU, Slovenia.
    Tadej Slabe, Karst Researcher, Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU, Slovenia.
    Title: Environmental Care during Highway Construction, Slovenia, Classical Karst.
  2. Yunfeng Hu, Professor, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, China.
    Batu Nacun, Associate Professor, Inner Mongolia Normal University, China.
    Hao Li, Student, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, China.
    Title: Responses of Vegetation Low-Growth to Extreme Climate Events on the Mongolian Plateau.
  3. Xiangzhou Xu, Professor, Dalian University of Technology, China.
    Title: Quantifying Mass Failure on Reservoir Bank in a Model Experiment.
  4. Heng Zhang, PhD Student, Seoul National University, South Korea.
    Title: Investigating Surface Urban Heat Island by Using Remote Sensing Method, a Case Study in Hong Kong.

 

12:30-14:00 Session 8
Moderator:
Dalius Butkauskas, Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Lithuania.
  1. Xiang Gao, PhD Student, Chongqing University, China.
    Qiang Fu, Professor, Chongqing University, China.
    Title: Re-examining the Dynamic Linkages between Oil Prices, Exchange Rates, and Stock Market Returns: A Perspective from the COVID-19 Pandemic.
  2. Yuan Luo, PhD Candidate, Chongqing University, China.
    Qiang Fu, Professor, Chongqing University, China.
    Title: Sino-US Trade Frictions and Industrial Structure Upgrading: The Enabling Effects of the Digital Economy.

14:00-15:00 Lunch

15:00-17:00 Session 9
Moderator: 
Isaac Rampedi, Associate Professor, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
  1. Alioscia Mozzato, Research Fellow, University Iuav of Venice, Italy.
    Title: Autonomous Houses for Cooperative Autonomy.
  2. Susanna Pisciella, Assistant Professor, University Iuav of Venice, Italy.
    Title: Autarky, Novelty of Ancient Dwelling.
  3. Mariacristina D’Oria, Research Fellow, University of Trieste, Italy.
    Thomas Bisiani, Research Fellow, University of Trieste, Italy.
    Title: Architectures, Energy Landscapes and Hydro-Social Territories.
  4. Carlo Antonio Stival, Associate Professor, University of Trieste, Italy.
    Paola Limoncin, Research Fellow, University of Trieste, Italy.
    Thomas Bisiani, Researcher, University of Trieste, Italy.
    Title: Self-Sufficiency in Panzano Dwellings: A Replicable Model for Environmental, Social, and Economic Sustainability.
  5. Elisabetta Nascig, PhD Student, University of Trieste, Italy.
    Mariacristina D’Oria, Research Fellow, University of Trieste, Italy.
    Title: Between Rows and Clearing: The Landscape of the Reclamation between Aquatic Re-Balances and New Forms of Living.
  6. Chris Haring, Research Physical Scientist, US Army Corps of Engineers-Engineering Research & Development Center (USACE-ERDC), USA.
    Title: Regressive Erosion in the Rio Coca Valley, Ecuador.

 

17:15-20:30 Session 10
Old and New-An Educational Urban Walk
The urban walk ticket is not included as part of your registration fee. It includes professional tour guide and the cost to enter the Parthenon and the other monuments on the Acropolis Hill. The urban walk tour includes the broader area of Athens. Among other sites, it includes: Zappeion, Syntagma Square, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Ancient Roman Agora and on Acropolis Hill: the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, and the Parthenon. The program of the tour may be adjusted, if there is a need beyond our control. This is a private event organized by the Athens Institute exclusively for the conference participants.

21:00-23:00
An Ancient Athenian Symposium: Continuous Dialogues, Timeless Flavors (featuring authentic ancient Athenian dishes, local wine, and sweet delicacies from ancient Athens)


Wednesday 16 July 2025
An Educational Visit to Selected Islands
or Nafplio & Mycenae Visit


Thursday 17 July 2025
Visiting the Oracle of Delphi


Friday 18 July 2025
Visiting the Ancient Corinth and Cape Sounion



Conference Venue: 9 Chalkokondili Street, 10677 Athens, Greece