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How do we provide the world with sufficient and clean water?
One of the large problems the world is facing, is how to supply sufficient and qualitatively good freshwater. This issue is high on the agenda of the three-day conference Water Science for Impact, that is starting today.
Over 400 professionals and students will address the interactions that exist between science and society. They will come up with solutions for urgent water-related problems, like the ones stated in the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN. Focal points in the programme are the sessions about large research programmes on Climate Adaptation and Water Quality and those on emerging conflicts that relate to water. Minister Cora Van Nieuwenhuizen of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment will give a speech on the interaction between policy and science at a session on this Thursday afternoon.
The participants include policy makers, water managers, scientists, students, and representatives from aid agencies and non-governmental organisations. Some 70 parallel sessions will be dealing with themes like Water and Climate Change, Water Nexus and Sustainable Water Quality. Key notes are delivered by Prof. Stefan Uhlenbrook (coordinator UN World Water Assessment Programme), Dr Simon Langan (Director of IIASA’s Water Programme and Water Futures and Solutions Initiative), Mr Charles Iceland (Director Global and National Water Initiatives at World Resources Institute) and Prof. Rob Hamer (VP Agri-Foods External Affairs, Unilever).
Special features: Escape Room and Donut Table
The conference takes place in Orion at the campus in Wageningen. The temporary Escape Room is positioned on the field at the front of the Campus. Participants joining there, may come up with solutions for migration problems as a consequence of water issues. The Donut Table planned on this Wednesday will be around feedback from student-sessions to experts, among whom the Dutch Special Envoy for International Water Affairs Henk Ovink.
Partners
This conference is organised by Wageningen University & Research in collaboration with Deltares, KWR, IHE Delft, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).