Shin Koseki, Director of the UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape at the University of Montreal, was the guest invitee of the Rives seminar organized by the Department of Environmental Sciences of the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières. Co-organized by François Guillemette, holder of the CR UQTR research chair in the ecology of the St. Lawrence river, the seminar offered a cross-sectional and intersectoral look at the river and its issues.
Shin Koseki’s intervention, which took the form of a discussion with researchers from the department, revolved around the Fluvialities project. This intersectoral and interdisciplinary research-action project attempts to highlight the scientific, technical, cultural and political issues surrounding the sustainable and inclusive development of the world’s rivers, including the St. Lawrence.
The Fluvialities project, which will be led by the UNESCO Chair over the next few years, aims to create a national and international network on river knowledge, and reinforce citizens’ participation regarding the future of the river, including its role as a habitat for animal and plant species. The Fluvialities project thus aims to achieve long-term planning and governance strategies for the River, but also for its tributaries, and urban development for its entire catchment area.