Global IssuesU.S. Environmental Scientist Named 2011 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate
Stephen R. Carpenter, Professor of Zoology and Limnology at the University of Wisconsin,- will receive the 2011 Stockholm Water Prize. Professor Carpenter's groundbreaking research has shown how lake ecosystems are affected by the surrounding landscape and by human activities. His findings have formed the basis for concrete solutions on how to manage lakes, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).
Professor Carpenter, 59, is recognised as one of the world's most influential environmental scientists in the field of ecology. 'By combining theoretical models and large-scale lake experiments, he has reframed our understanding of freshwater environments and how lake ecosystems are impacted by humans and the surrounding landscape,' the statement said.
The Stockholm Water Prize Nominating Committee emphasises the importance of Professor Carpenter's contributions 'in helping us understand how we affect lakes through nutrient loading, fishing, and introduction of exotic species'.
'Professor Carpenter has shown outstanding leadership in setting the ecological research agenda, integrating it into a socio-ecological context, and in providing guidance for the management of aquatic resources,' the Stockholm Water Prize Nominating Committee said.
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden will present the prize at a royal award ceremony during the World Water Week in Stockholm on August 25.
' I am thrilled. Many great people have received the prize over the years, and there are many others whose work is worth rewarding. It is a great honour to be selected. The prize will increase my resolve and sense of obligation to work on emerging issues of freshwater, such as climate change and the connections of food and water security,' Professor Carpenter said, responding to the announcement.
Professor Carpenter serves as the Director of the Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Stephen Alfred Forbes Professor of Zoology. He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and a affiliate of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has played a leading role in the Millennium Assessment - a global assessment of the health of the world's ecosystems and is the co-Editor in Chief of the well known journal 'Ecosystems'.
The Stockholm Water Prize is a global award founded in 1991 and presented annually by the Stockholm International Water Institute to an individual, organisation or institution for outstanding water-related activities. The Stockholm Water Prize Laureate receives $150,000 and a crystal sculpture specially designed and created by Orrefors.
H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, who is the patron of the Prize, will formally present Professor Carpenter with the 2011 Stockholm Water Prize at a Royal Award Ceremony in Stockholm City Hall on August 25 during the 2011 World Water Week in Stockholm.
© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service