FAFS participated in the 8th World Water Forum, the world's largest water-related event that took place March 18 -23 in Brasilia which was organized by the World Water Council (WWC) and consisted of several sessions and included global leaders in water policy, science, and planning.
FAFS Dean Rabi Mohtar offered a keynote presentation on the topic of ‘Bridging Science and Policy’ that addressed the need for using science in support of effective decision making when it comes to the sustainable use of not only water, but its closely related systems of energy and food. He co-organized and participated in several sessions including “Multi-stakeholder Dialogue: Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus and SDGs Implementation” (check details here), which focused on policy coherence in implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by providing stakeholders beyond the water sector the opportunity to engage and address cross cutting of the Brasilia Forum. Specifically, complementing and building on sessions focused on water for energy, water for food, governance, financing, and communication.
Dean Mohtar was also a keynote speaker in two sessions: “Sustainability Challenges need integrated solution: is water, energy, and food the answer?” and "Water Energy Food Nexus and Sustainable Development Goals”, and participated in a high Level Panel that addressed “Water related SDGs in crises prone regions: turning reconstruction into sustainable development”. This panel included representatives from several countries in the Arab and African regions entering a new era of water challenges: post scarcity coupled with conflicts. Universal access to water and sanitation in countries facing entrenched turmoil requires more than innovation, solidarity and justice. The panel discussed policy transitions from reconstruction to sustainable development in water and sanitation sector, as relates to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The perspectives of countries recovering from conflicts and of countries hosting refugees will lead to an agenda for preparedness to be built for anticipation and mitigation of human tragedies in cases of conflicts. The post-conflict time could be turned into an opportunity to adequately plan and implement sector and cross sectoral programs for universal access to the right to water and sanitation within the 2030 vision in countries and regions.
Check the summary of activities here.
For more info: http://wefnexusgroup.org/wwf8/