In the wake of the upcoming IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition in Brisbane, 09 – 14 October, 2016, IWA stated water security is a top global risk.
“Water scarcity has become a seasonal certainty in some parts of the world. In Brisbane the world’s leading water professionals will for the first time host a summit dedicated to drought action and delivering a sustainable water future,” said Ger Bergkamp, executive director of the International Water Association.
More than 5,000 water experts, industry professionals and political leaders from over 100 countries will come together at the Congress that will address some of the biggest challenges faced by the countries in water sector.
The Congress will review the latest scientific findings and share knowledge on leading edge water technologies, and propose effective regulatory systems to manage water and sanitation in a period of unprecedented water challenges.
The discussion will focus on growing competition for water resources from industry, agriculture, nature and cities; all of which are impacted by climate change, population growth, changing consumption patterns and rapid urbanization.
The key challenges identified by IWA include the following:
- Billions of people still lack access to basic water supply and sanitation;
- Increasing water scarcity and the risk of droughts and floods affecting every corner of the globe with major economic impacts;
- Rising demand for water from agriculture, industries, cities and the environment is rapidly outpacing the water available;
- 80% of wastewater is untreated, threatening communities, businesses and the environment.
The Congress is timely, coming shortly after governments around the world adopt the Sustainable Development Goals which will set the global development agenda until 2030.
Rajani Baburajan