“Addressing Water Quality Challenges for the Attainment of SDGs”

Background

Water quality is intrinsically linked with human health, poverty reduction, gender equality, food security, livelihoods, and the preservation of ecosystems, as well as economic growth and social development of our societies. Water quality problems represent a major challenge in both developing and developed countries. Impacts of climate change, fast developing urban societies, and expanding economies on water quality, as well as water quality linkages in the water-energy-food nexus are becoming more evident, bringing new threats and challenges water security and sustainable development. Technical, institutional, policy and financial challenges still remain to be addressed, despite global and national efforts to improve access to safe water and improve water quality and wastewater management.

Side-Event Objective

The side-event, thus, aims to inform Member States and IHP National Committees on the Initiative’s responses to water quality and wastewater issues in all regions (Africa, Arab States, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and SIDS).

In particular, the event will:

• Present IIWQ key activities and flagship projects on water quality and wastewater
• Showcase IIWQ major achievements and update on progress made to support MemberStates on the attainment of SDGs related to water quality and wastewater
• Inform on IIWQ’s leading role in addressing global water quality challenges by: generating and disseminating scientific knowledge, state-of-the-art technological solutions and policy approaches; facilitating the sharing of best practices on solving water quality and wastewater problems; and fostering global scientific and policy cooperation on water qualityProgramme

18:00 Opening

Blanca Jimenez-Cisneros, Division of Water Sciences – IHP, UNESCO

18:05 International Initiative on Water Quality (IIWQ): Reponses to major challenges and priorities on water quality and wastewater challenges towards achieving SDGs

• Key activities and flagship projects on water quality and wastewater in all regions
• UNESCO Project “Emerging Pollutants in Wastewater Reuse in Developing Countries”Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, Division of Water Sciences – IHP, UNESCO

18:20 IIWQ Regional Consultation Meetings and Technical Workshops: Africa, Asia, The Americas, Arab region, Europe

• Africa: Chrispine Omondi Juma, Lake Victoria South Water Services Board, Kenya
• Asia: Soontak Lee, Distinguished Professor, Yeungnam University, Korea
• Europe: Siegfried Demuth, International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change,Germany

18:35 IIWQ Water Quality Symposium Series: 2015 IIWQ Symposium on “Scientific, technical and policy innovation for improved water quality monitoring in the SDGs Framework”, Japan Yosuke Yamashiki, Kyoto University, Japan, & IIWQ Expert Advisory Group Chairperson

18:45 Interactive discussion: Feedback from UNESCO Member States and IHP National Committees

19:00 Conclusions and Closing: The way forward

Facilitator: Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, Division of Water Sciences – IHP, UNESCO