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Since 1973, every three years IWRA
organizes and supports events related to advancing water
resources knowledge, policy and management around the world.
The World Water
Congresses aims to provide a meeting place to share
experiences, promote discussion, and present new knowledge,
research results and new developments in the field of water
policy and science from around the world. For more than four
decades, World Water Congresses have been the breeding
ground for identification of major global themes concerning
the water agenda as well as for bringing together a large
cross-section of stakeholders for the development and
implementation of decisions in the field of water.
Overall theme
of the XVIth World Water Congress
Bridging Science and Policy
Water is a vital resource for humanity.
It is a crosscutting component of all social, economic and
environmental activities. It is a condition for all life on
our planet, an enabling or limiting factor for any social
and technological development, a source of wellbeing and
misery, and all-to-often a basis for conflict and
cooperation.
While humanity has widely recognized
the imperative of water and sharing, it has not always
implemented sound approaches to the utilization,
conservation, protection, and administration of the resource.
One of the key challenges has been the disconnect between
scientific knowledge and policy actions, between those
making scientific and technological discoveries and
advancements, and those who can mobilize governmental and
societal adoption and implementation through practical and
robust policies.
The objective of the XVIth World Water
Congress was to bridge these gaps in knowledge, communication,
and coordination. In particular, it aimed to link
professionals with information and experiences related to
water resources at all levels, with experts working on key
global water agendas and strategies. Accordingly, the
Congress was targeted at natural and social scientists,
practitioners, and technological innovators, as well as
policy and decision-makers, financial stakeholders and
investors, legal and regulatory specialists, and groups
involved in capacity building. Additionally, the Congress was
designed to catalyse cooperation and coordination among
these professionals in order to facilitate global goals and
strategies related to the Sustainable Development Goals,
particularly those related to water, as well as agreements
under the auspices of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change, thematic priorities of past
and upcoming World Water Forums, and other water-related
programs.
In order for us to achieve solutions
for the multiple water challenges facing our world, we must
strengthen the linkages between science and policy; we must
facilitate active dialogue throughout the water community
and learn how to translate across disciplines and
professions; and we must find opportunities to align our
objectives and approaches toward problem solving. By
collaborating and combining all of our efforts, by bridging
and fortifying relations among scientists and policymakers,
we will ensure a more sound future for the world we leave to
our children. |
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