GWP Patron HRH Prince of Orange of The Netherlands and GWP Chair Letitia A. Obeng are keynote speakers at the Opening Plenary of the World Water Week in Stockholm on 17 August 2008. GWP is also convening and chairing several workshops and activites. GWP can also be found at exhibition booth EH:03:30.
This year's theme of the World Water Week 2008 is on Progress and Prospects on Water: For a Clean and Healthy World with a special focus on sanitation. In total, 8 workshops, 46 seminars, 35 side events are being organised and more than 50 exhibitors and 2000 water specialists from around the world will participate in the 18th World Water Week in Stockholm on 17-23 August.
Key GWP involvement includes:
Monday 18 August, morning event
Opening Plenary
GWP Patron HRH Prince of Orange of The Netherlands and GWP Chair Letitia A. Obeng are invited speakers at the Opening Session.
Tuesday 19 August: Full day event
Workshop 1: Waste as a resource
Highly populated cities generate enormous quantities of waste. After separation of hazardous components most of the waste can be re-circulated, nutrients and other components can be withdrawn from it, and heat and bio-gas can be produced. The treated wastewater itself can be used for irrigation, groundwater recharge, other beneficial purposes and to maintain ecological flows.
The focus will be on ways to develop systems that can best utilise resources hidden in treated wastewater, sludge and solid waste.
The workshop is co-sponsored by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), organised by Dr Akiça Bahri (TEC/IWMI).
Chair: Dr Roberto Lenton, GWP TEC Chair
Co-chair: Professor Lars Bengtsson, Lund University, Sweden
Tuesday 19 August, Full day Seminar
Asia Water Day
Asia Day will focus on celebrating the reforms and innovations taking place in the region’s water sector, revealing new or improved solutions to Asia-Pacific’s longstanding water issues, and discuss the remaining challenges.
Convenor: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Co-Convenors: Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF), International Water Association (IWA), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Global Water Partnership (GWP), Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO), Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), World Toilet Organization (WTO), South Asia Water Utilities Network (SAWUN), Southeast Asia Water Utilities Network (SEAWUN), Central Asia and South Caucasus Water Utilities Association (CASCWUA) and Streams of Knowledge (STREAMS)
Tuesday 19 August, 13.30-17.00
Seminar: Europe’s Sanitation Problem, 20 million people need access to Safe and Affordable Sanitation
More than 20 million citizens in the European Union lack safe and affordable sanitation. Europe should promote achieving the Millennium Development Goal Target on sanitation within its own region. Current legislation does not address the problems of these 20 million people. Despite more than EUR 336 billion in Cohesion Funds going to new EU Member States, hardly any funds are targeted at safe sanitation for the poorest in rural communities. Experiences will be presented from the Baltic Sea Region on possible policy solutions. Politicians, practitioners and experts from new Member States will respond. Best practices of safe and affordable solutions in the new member states will be presented. An action plan for the sector will be debated.
Convenors: Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF), Global Water Partnership Central and Eastern Europe (GWPCEE), Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), Earth Forever, Medium & Sanitas Slobozia Romania and Creative Slovakia
Wednesday 20 August, 09:00-12:00
Seminar: Water and Climate Day 1 − The Meaning of the IPCC Technical Paper on Climate Change and Water for Sectoral and National Adaptation Policies
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will present its latest publication, the Technical Report on Water and Climate. The publication is entirely devoted to the impacts of climate change on water and the measures to be taken. After the presentation of the Technical Report, key professionals in the sector will kick off the debate on the relevance of the report for the water sector.
Adaptation and sector planning at country level is the theme of the session lead by the chair of the Global Water Partnership (GWP), Dr. Letitia Obeng. The position of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be presented, including the activities adaptation to climate change under the Clean Development Mechanism. The following discussion and panel debate goes into how climate change is taken into account in planning and what resources are available for implementation.
10.20 Adaptation Policies and Plans. Dr. Festus Luboyera, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Germany
10.35 Discussion and Panel Debate. Chair: Dr. Letitia Obeng, Global Water Partnership (GWP). Members: Dr. Peter Johnston, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Dr. David Purkey, Stockholm Environmental Institute, USA; Dr. Festus Luboyera, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Italy; Professor Abel Afouda, Université d’Abomey-Calavi and GWP Benin Country Water Partnership, Benin; Mr. Joseph Wayne, Water Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and GWP¬–Caribbean Water Partnership, Trinidad and Tobago.
Convenor: Co-operative Programme on Water and Climate (CPWC), The Netherlands
Chair: Dr. Letitia A Obeng, GWP Chair
Wednesday 20 August: Afternoon event
Workshop 7: Water and Sanitation under Changing Climatic Conditions
We must rapidly adapt to climate change and its likely impact on water tables and availability, rising sea levels, floods and droughts. Normal variability in weather and hydrological conditions impacts sanitation systems and poses critical challenges. Climate change increases the size and the scope of the challenge and puts enormous pressure on strategic planning while increasing the need to upgrade and maintain sanitation infrastructure. Appropriate and robust total sanitation system solutions that can functionally withstand dramatic weather variations are needed.
The workshop is convened by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) with co-convenors the International Water Association (IWA) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).
Chair: Mr. Martin Walshe, GWP Acting Executive Secretary
Thursday 21, August, 9:00-12:00
Seminar: Indicators for Action: Reporting on Water Management
Many countries are struggling to achieve the water-related MDG targets in the different areas of water management. The seminar will discuss our ability to report on key questions such as: Do we have enough water of sufficient quality to support our needs? What are the most efficient investments and where should we invest? Are we able to measure how far we have come at national or basin level – and even know if we are moving in the right direction? The expected output of the seminar will be recommendations on the further development and use of indicators the can be applied to assess progress towards sound water management.
Convenors: UN Water, WWAP, SIWI, DHI, UNEP-DHI Centre, Capacity Building for IWRM (Cap-Net), UNDP Water Governance Program;
Chair: Pasquale Steduto, UN-Water Chair
Co-Chair Mr. Martin Walshe, GWP Acting Executive Secretary