Final Programme Beyond the River - World Water Week

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Photo: Michael Moore, SIWI The resource dimension The water flow and quality, and the health of the water and aquatic ecosystems, is intimately related to what happens in the landscape surrounding the river. Humans have changed the face of the earth, for better and for worse, and what is left of the river – or in it – reflects human imprints on the entire landscape. Naturally, water management and policy have focused on water per se and generally on quantitative aspects of rivers and other “blue” water bodies, i.e. lakes and ground water resources. In planning and in the mind of the public, however, links between surface and groundwater bodies have not been subject to much scrutiny. Similarly overlooked are the connections between land use, wetlands and other ecosystems and water in catchments. Finally, the river’s dual function – as a source and sink – is seldom properly considered. Water, food and urban expansion In terms of total pressure on the world’s water resources, the opportunities to enhance water productivity in the agricultural sector are of special importance. With some 850 million people already undernourished, and with the need to feed an annual increase of 70 to 80 million people, substantial additional effort is needed. A significant challenge, but also opportunity, for the agricultural sector refers to the rapidly expanding urban sector, along with new forms for trade and processing of agricultural outputs and rapidly changing consumer tastes and preferences. Pressure on water and other resources is growing as per capita purchasing power improves and diets change. With an increasing number of people having better access to the food that is produced, production of food itself must increase while urban demand for water is increasing rapidly. Enhanced water productivity is the most sensible strategy to meet the multiple challenges; better use of the various fractions of the water resource, “from the rain to the drain,” will help. From linear flow to water re-use The increasing demand for water has generally been met by regulating and exploiting the easily available water resources according to a linear logic. Water is brought from an identified source and supplied to the sites and activities where it is demanded. Over time, water has been brought from sources farther and farther away, and from deeper and deeper aquifers. The same logic has guided sewage disposal by transporting it away from human settlements. Unfortunately, the capacity to implement linear flow is constrained by many factors; its validity as the sole solution is now questioned. A new management strategy is needed which facilitates a circular flow of water and other resources, especially phosphorous, nitrogen and other nutrients. Re-use should not only be considered within industrial premises but in a landscape context. Unexpected natural events Recent dramatic events have underscored how water management and policy cannot be based solely on “normal” conditions and gradual change. Reality can quite rapidly and sometimes unexpectedly jar us from a tranquil “Ol’ Man River” situation to one where forces of Nature ravage and destroy lives, property and infrastructure on a massive scale. The devastation in the wake of the tsunami in South East Asia and the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico unveiled the vulnerability of both developed and developing societies to forces of Nature. Increasing numbers of people, concentration of property in disaster-prone areas (notably in coastal areas), and extreme weather conditions combine to exact terrible tolls in human and economic terms, and for long periods. Conventional wisdom about management as a means to facilitate development and promote human well-being in a piecemeal manner under “normal” conditions falls short of tackling these kinds of sudden events. Prolonged droughts and their consequences are other examples of large-scale disasters. Quite simply, strategies must consider the vulnerability of social and infrastructure systems. Sharing benefits or sharing responsibilities? With a broader perspective on water policy and management, a focus on the benefits that can be derived from water use in a wide perspective, seems to make sense. The 10
discussion on how water can be allocated and shared can be replaced by a more useful discussion on how these benefits can be shared in society. Hence, the notion of “sharing benefits” rather than “sharing water” has been promoted. Discussed originally in the context of transboundary water courses, the notion is valid also at national and lower levels of society. Natural resources use which takes into account geography, water availability, soils, economic opportunities, etc., generates more benefits per unit of water than a strategy where water is shared between political constituencies and used sector-wise. Regional specialisation and collaboration could optimise resource use, strengthen bonds across political and other divides and contribute to stability and security. A basic assumption, however, is that there is something to share. In many river basins and countries, there is development potential, but a lack of investments, exchange mechanisms, and tangible goods and services which can be shared. In poor areas, water may be one of the most obvious assets that can be shared. Initially, then, it is therefore not so much the benefits that may be shared, but rather the innovations, investments and risks. It is also prudent to recognise that environmental and social costs are linked to benefits. Whatever is to be shared – water flow, jobs, food, timber, income, risks, environmental costs, investments, etc. – it is crucial to foster mutual trust and transparency. We need to identify the mechanisms for the processes which will lead to mutual trust and confidence across political and cultural entities. Scientific Programme Committee (SPC) • Professor Jan Lundqvist, Linköping University, Sweden and SIWI (Chair) • Ms. Katarina Andrzejewska, SIWI, Sweden (Secretary) • Mr. Anders Berntell, SIWI, Sweden • Professor Asit K. Biswas, Third World Centre for Water Management, Mexico • Dr. Gunilla Brattberg, Stockholm Water Company, Sweden • Professor Klas Cederwall, The Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden • Professor Boniface Egboka, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria • Professor Malin Falkenmark, SIWI, Sweden • Ms. Ulla-Britta Fallenius, The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Sweden • Mr. Claus Hagebro, Weconsult, Denmark • Mr. Robert Martin, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (Co-opted Member) • Professor Saburo Matsui, Kyoto University, Japan • Dr. David Molden, International Water Management Institute (Co-opted Member) • Ms. Lynn Orphan, Water Environment Federation • Professor Ausaf Rahman, USA • Mr. Michael Rouse, UK World Water Week Sunday 20 August Monday 21 August Tuesday 22 August Wednesday 23 August Thursday 24 August Friday 25 August Saturday 26 August Photo: Mats Lannerstad 11 Special Sessions Poster Sessions General Information
Page 1 and 2: Building Capacity Promoting Partner
Page 3 and 4: Strategy of the World Water Week Th
Page 5 and 6: World Water Week Sunday 20 August P
Page 7 and 8: World Water Week Overview World Wat
Page 9: will be evaluated in terms of, for
Page 13 and 14: Social and Environmental Change in
Page 15 and 16: Photo: Mats Lannerstad Under Cover?
Page 17 and 18: Sunday 20 August Photo: SIWI Saudi
Page 19 and 20: What’s Water Worth? The Economic
Page 21 and 22: perceived. With the most recent dev
Page 23 and 24: High-Level Panel on Benefit Sharing
Page 25 and 26: Side Events 17:15-18:45 Folkets Hus
Page 27 and 28: Workshop 2 Water and Trade: Matchin
Page 29 and 30: Workshop 6 Changing Diets and their
Page 31 and 32: Capturing the Big Picture of Gender
Page 33 and 34: Fighting Corruption to Reduce Pover
Page 35 and 36: Side Events Side Events on 22 Augus
Page 37 and 38: Social Activity Stockholm Junior Wa
Page 39 and 40: Workshop 7 Sharing the Benefits of
Page 41 and 42: Workshop 9 Safe Water Storage and R
Page 43 and 44: Coping with Water Scarcity Convenor
Page 45 and 46: Future Wastewater Treatment In Focu
Page 47 and 48: Flowing Upstream and Downstream: Co
Page 49 and 50: The Founders Seminar: Business on t
Page 51 and 52: Photo: WSSCC We will present the fi
Page 53 and 54: Thursday 24 August Workshop 3 Econo
Page 55 and 56: Seminars Hydro-Hegemony Convenors:
Page 57 and 58: The Stockholm Water Prize Laureates
Page 59 and 60: Photos: Michael Moore, SIWI and Jan
Page 61 and 62:
Award Ceremony Stockholm Water Priz
Page 63 and 64:
Seminars Photo: Jan Lundqvist, SIWI
Page 65 and 66:
Award Ceremony Swedish Baltic Sea W
Page 67 and 68:
Social Activity Technical Tours Ham
Page 69 and 70:
The Comprehensive Assessment of Wat
Page 71 and 72:
Photo: Mats Lannerstad Practical Im
Page 73 and 74:
Drought, Risk and Management for Ag
Page 75 and 76:
Moving the EUWI Forward - Monitorin
Page 77 and 78:
• Africa’s Lakes: An Atlas of O
Page 79 and 80:
Semiarid Region. Mr. André Teixeir
Page 81 and 82:
General Information The 2006 World
Page 83 and 84:
Administrative Officer; Mr. Johan K
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Final Programme Beyond the River - World Water Week

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