ClimEx-PE at the CHARM-EU Summer School: Groundwater Innovation in the Spotlight

On 24 June 2024, the CHARM-EU Summer School titled Bridging Minds, Shaping Futures: Transdisciplinary in Research was held at the University of Montpellier. The event brought together researchers and students from across Europe to explore how transdisciplinary approaches can address global sustainability challenges. The ClimEx-PE project was prominently represented by two researchers from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), highlighting the project’s innovative contributions to climate adaptation through groundwater-based solutions.

Judit Mádl-Szőnyi, scientific coordinator of ClimEx-PE, delivered an invited keynote presentation titled From Groundwater Flow to Societal Climate Adaptation: A Transdisciplinary Journey. Her talk introduced the scientific foundations and societal relevance of the NaBa-MAR (Nature-Based Managed Aquifer Recharge) approach, which forms the core innovation of the ClimEx-PE project. Developed at ELTE, NaBa-MAR integrates natural groundwater flow systems with managed recharge techniques to mitigate hydroclimatic extremes and support long-term water resilience.

Mádl-Szőnyi also participated in a panel discussion with international experts, where she emphasized the importance of incorporating groundwater knowledge into climate policy and local adaptation strategies. Her contributions showcased how ClimEx-PE bridges natural sciences with societal engagement—one of the project’s central goals.

Judit Mádl-Szőnyi during the panel discussion

Ildikó Erhardt, also a member of the ClimEx-PE team, moderated an interactive session using Wooclap, engaging the audience with real-time questions about groundwater. These included:

• What is groundwater?
• What proportion of the Earth’s mobilisable freshwater is groundwater?
• In which direction does groundwater naturally flow?
• Does infiltrated water stay in place underground?

These questions helped raise awareness among the young, international audience about the often invisible but critical role of groundwater in global water security.

Ildikó Erhardt during the interactive session

A key highlight of the session was the screening of the NaBa-MAR educational film, which visually demonstrated how the NaBa-MAR concept works and why it is essential for climate adaptation. Presenting this ELTE-developed know-how to a diverse academic audience significantly contributed to the international visibility and future applicability of the ClimEx-PE innovation.

The CHARM-EU Summer School provided an ideal platform to communicate the ClimEx-PE project’s transdisciplinary approach, combining hydrogeological research, stakeholder engagement, and policy relevance. It also strengthened the project’s ties within the CHARM-EU alliance, supporting its mission to co-create sustainable solutions across Europe.

Source of images: University of Montpellier (CHARM-EU)