Every year in November, the Environment Day is held at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. This year’s event focused on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation for All. With extreme drought and rising temperatures on the one hand, and heavy rainfall events on the other, we here in the Zittau region also face enormous challenges. How do we deal with these climate changes? How do we protect our precious good—water? And what solutions are there for sustainable use?

The event was opened by Prof. Dr. Alexander Kratzsch, Rector of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, and Thomas Zenker, mayor of the large district town of Zittau. In his welcoming remarks, Thomas Zenker provided information about Environment Day, stating that, unlike today, the event used to be able to fill the large lecture hall. He emphasized the importance of rekindling public interest in Environment Day and the issues it addresses. His words underscored the event’s relevance and the urgent need to raise awareness of environmental issues among the general public.

Several expert presentations followed. Juliane Dziumla, Associate Sustainability Officer at the United Nations University, opened the series of presentations with her talk on global goals and local responsibility in the context of climate change and sustainable development. Rocco Deckert, Technical Director of Stadtwerke Zittau, then explained the challenges of water supply in Zittau and presented the project “Z-Aqua: Stability and Resilience—Zittau’s Drinking Water as a Task for Future Generations.” Michael Kuba, Managing Director of SOWAG, spoke about the challenges in wastewater management and the necessary adaptations to climate change. Thomas Gubsch, a project staff member of the AQVA-HEAT project at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, concluded the session by presenting the innovative project on the use of water bodies as a sustainable heat source.

Ulrike Bobek, environmental coordinator at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and organizer of the event, was delighted by the enthusiastic response: “I am very pleased with the positive feedback on the program and the many interested participants. I would like to extend my special thanks to the speakers who took the time to share their knowledge and expertise with us, and to Ms. Hirt from the Zittau city administration for her active support in organizing the event.”

After a final round of talks, the tour continued with a special guided tour of the Zittau municipal baths. The participants were able to visit the otherwise closed tower room of the baths, which offers a great view of St. John's Church and interesting insights into the history of bathing and the baths. The importance of water over the centuries, both for health and for daily life in Zittau, was impressively demonstrated here.

The day ended with a film screening at the Kronenkino Zittau, where the movie "Micha Denkt Groß" was shown. The comedy, starring Charly Hübner, Jördis Triebel and Peter Kurth, dealt with social and individual challenges and offered participants an entertaining degree for the day.

Environment Day 2024 thus offered a multi-layered examination of current water problems and encouraged a lively exchange on solutions and strategies for action at local and global level. In times of climate change and resource scarcity, it remains more important than ever to raise awareness of environmental issues - a concern that Zittau's Lord Mayor Thomas Zenker also clearly formulated in his opening speech.