How to reach a better water future in focus at World Water Week
Finding new approaches to tackle the global water crisis is in focus at World Water Week, which is underway in Stockholm. IHE Delft delegates are sharing their expertise in many events throughout the week, putting the spotlight on topics ranging from the need for joint global education action and more integrated lake ecosystem restoration.
IHE Delft is a co-convener of a seminar on Governance: The enabling environment to foster innovation, which over three sessions will look at how more perspectives, values and voices can be included and integrated into water governance, policies and strategies. At the first session, IHE Delft Associate Professor Nora van Cauwenbergh highlighted the need for a new approach to water innovation.
“There are a lot of technological innovations already: to foster innovation in the water sector today, we should focus on institutions, investments and acknowledging the importance of building trust across actors - so not the product, but the process,” she said.
In a talk-show session, Ken Irvine, Professor of Aquatic Ecosystems and Konstantina Katsanou, Lecturer/Researcher in Applied Aquatic Ecology, emphasised the need for a global approach to lake ecosystem restoration. A big challenge is the lack of data for lakes in poorer countries, they said.
Adequate data, Katsanou said, would enable stakeholders to “talk about not only the changes , but also the effectiveness of the efforts being done.”
The session highlighted a position paper produced by the UNEP World Water Quality Alliance that calls for action for sustainable lake and reservoir use.
IHE Delft Rector Eddy Moors and Liaison Office Manager Gaetano Casale took part in an event highlighting the Global Water Education Network, which is coordinated by UNESCO and an alliance comprising IHE Delft, the International Capacity Development Network for Sustainable Water Management (Cap-Net) and the Stockholm International Water Institute.
The network was launched following the UN 2023 Water conference, held in March, and aims to support national governments in identifying and filling gaps in water-related capacity. The network will have a broad approach and focus on training trainers and sharing curricula and other knowledge, Moors said, adding: “We're not restricted to academic level only; we are also quite interested in all other needs of knowledge.”
Read more about IHE Delft at World Water Week here.