IAH was delighted to issue three Distinguished Associate Awards in 2024.
Raphaëlle Aubert, Christopher Flavelle and Mira Rojanasakul
Groundwater is critical to the environment and for life itself. IAH’s mission is to further the understanding, wise use and protection of groundwater resources throughout the world. We cannot accomplish this by ourselves and we are grateful for the crucial role that journalists play in bringing groundwater to the attention of people across the world. They do this through various media and in ways the wider public can easily understand, highlighting groundwater’s vulnerability and the importance of protecting this vital resource for everyone’s benefit.
This year’s Distinguished Associate Award recognises outstanding examples of this work.
Le Monde’s investigative journalism on groundwater contamination in France and in the European Union, was part of the ‘Under the Surface’ project, led in France by Raphaëlle Aubert, with the support of IGRAC and hydrogeologists from CNRS and BRGM. This cross-border project, initiated by Datadista in Spain and coordinated by Arena for Journalism in Europe, follows the ‘Forever Pollution’ project, another cross-field investigation by 16 European newsrooms on PFAS across Europe, developed initially by Le Monde (France), NDR, WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany), RADAR Magazine and Le Scienze (Italy), The Investigative Desk and NRC (Netherlands). The investigation was further developed by Knack (Belgium), Denik Referendum (Czechia), YLE (Finland), Reporters United (Greece), Latvian Radio (Latvia), Datadista (Spain), SRF (Switzerland), Watershed Investigations / The Guardian (UK). The cross-border collaborative process was supported by Arena for Journalism in Europe.
The work of Christopher Flavelle and Mira Rojanasakul for the New York Times, ‘America Is Using Up Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow’, analysed water levels reported at tens of thousands of sites, and highlighted the potential impending crisis America may face.
In each case the award is made to lead authors and investigators, but recognises the inputs made by many of their colleagues that has allowed such remarkable and authoritative reporting. It is in this context that we are pleased to acknowledge the contributions of Raphaëlle Aubert, Christopher Flavelle and Mira Rojanasakul to the enhancement of awareness of the fundamental need for groundwater protection worldwide.
Raphaëlle Aubert Mira Rojanasakul Christopher Flavelle
