The UNESCO Chair in Global Environmental Change is interested in the study of the past, present and future roles of continental aquatic ecosystems in regional and global carbon budgets as well as its consequences on the development and sustainable management of water resources. The Chair serves as a privileged environment where research on understanding the extent and identification of factors regulating the role of lakes and rivers in the global carbon balance can take place. This research orientation is based on the unsuspected importance of inland aquatic processes and fits directly with UNESCO’s mission of improving the sustainable use of natural resources and renewable energy.