Following the successful second edition of the Integrated Leaders Forum in 2017 in Amsterdam, the AIWW Conference 2019 will again provide a leaders platform for dialogue on key areas and global trends for redefinition, action and investment. The Integrated Leaders Forum will take place on Monday 4 November.
Utility Leaders Forum
Utilities will focus on the need to invest in water availability, resource and energy recovery and maintaining, improving and expanding their infrastructure while balancing this with affordable tariffs. Involvement of potential financiers in an early stage of project development is key. The future of utilities lies in industrial use of reclaimed water, the need for water conservation by domestic customers, irrigation efficiency in the agricultural sector and reclaimed water use in city landscaping.
City Leaders Forum
Resilient Cities will focus on adaptation needs to be pursued at a local level, implementation should not just follow a ‘top-down’ approach but an inclusive approach where society is a serious stakeholder. At the same time, master plans are needed to support progress towards a circular water economy and cities need one coordinating organization for that. Future flood protection measures should feature nature-based solutions and use of an integrated approach should cover spatial planning that includes a business case that accounts for public and private interests. The long-term nature of climate adaptation requires both political support and commitment as presents inclusive collaboration. Involvement of potential financiers/investors from the very start of project development is key to come to eventually bankable propositions with a sound financial structure. This can be blended finance, making good use of public and/or private financing.
Industry Leaders Forum
Industry will focus on the importance of regional and local perspectives to guide context-based water targets aligned with local water availability as a driver for investments. Industry requires a proper accounting framework to set targets. Their connection with investors is based on a growing number of pilot projects ready for wider implementation of technologies offering resource recovery. An important message from industry around the circular economy is that it needs to be supported by wider planning to promote industrial symbiosis.
Cross cutting themes
Cross cutting themes to be discussed during the Leadership program for AIWW 2019 are:
Leadership, finance and governance driving local water availability
Local water availability as a driver for future investments. Water stewardship strategy for Cities, Utilities and Industries is centred around watershed management and active participation in collaborative actions and identification of new local water sources. All part of a circular approach in which investments will be made in technologies adapted to local conditions and serving an holistic approach including all environmental vectors.
Regional/city development and circular water systems
AIWW Conference hosts dialogue between high level representatives from Industry, Utilities and Cities on must changes in water system management over the next ten years to meet the water- resource challenge and a new circular perspective on water management.
Climate change, resiliency and effective ecosystems
Climate changes and extremes will influence next generation resilient critical infrastructures and aligning of urbanizing objectives. AIWW discussion will be focussing on protection of existing infrastructure and other capital and social assets by building resilient and blue-green solutions to extreme events and projected climate change and increased variability.
