24-27 September 2019, Bengaluru, India.

The conference focussed on the current state of Global Water resource challenges, future pathways and scenarios, and different technological, institutional solutions to accelerate the implementation of water-related Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda targets without leaving no one behind.

Agenda

• Address the unfolding global water crisis, as evidenced by issues as increased water scarcity, widespread water pollution, and rapid declines in freshwater biodiversity.
• Explore different innovative frameworks, approaches, methods to determine the potential of natural and human-made infrastructure investment, and their complementarities to achieve sustainable solutions enhancing water security and resilience of the socio-ecological system.
• Discuss resiliency and risks related to water resource arising from, for example, water quality, extreme precipitation, urban flooding.
• Explore the capacity of notions of risk to be embedded within the SDG process and what are the requirements for integrated and adaptive risk governance to deal with interconnectedness during SDG implementation?
• Discussions on existing global integrated modelling, role of Artificial Intelligence, Big Data as well as expansion of the role of Earth observations in monitoring and assessment of SDGs.
• How long ‘business as usual’ scenario can be continued for the global water system before we reach a tipping point where even path-breaking action cannot reverse any of the negative trends ?
• How can a water target at global and regional scale be defined considering the inherent links between biophysical and socio ecological process in relation to W-E-F Security and their transgression prevented?
• Focus on the aesthetic, cultural and historical knowledge of water and its role in nature and society. The conference will also address other connected issues related to water, for instance, poverty, nutrition, health, education, gender equality and productivity.
• Explore how can we leverage systematic knowledge and know-how, together with innovative, collective practices around water as both resource and symbol?
• Address different ways to integrate gender issues into different policymaking and decision- making that will enable women to have an effective “voice” and engage in meaningful participation.