Wednesday, December 7th, 2:00 PM-3:00 PM
Session coordinators: UNESCO - UNDESA
Session contributor: IGRAC
Capacity development is one of the five accelerators of the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework. Monitoring of the SDG 6 indicators has revealed insufficient knowledge of groundwater systems. Lack of groundwater-related capacity undermines development targets, while the absence of capacity to assess, manage and govern the resource is an obstacle to economic and social sustainable development. There is a clear need therefore, to better communicate and increase public understanding of groundwater resources. Increasing the spread of groundwater education and communication on this issue is critical, as is the need to invest more in capacity development on groundwater resources.
This session will consider national and regional experiences of the sustainable management of groundwater and capacity development and panellists will share their experience and ideas on how to overcome knowledge and capacity challenges. The session will include a short introduction to the topic, followed by a brief presentation of the UN-Water Capacity Development Initiative and a panel discussion. Invited panellists - high-level representatives from several countries, as well as those from academia and the UN system - will share their views and experiences, their national programmes and the results of studies and research, as well as possible suggestions and recommendations for the future.
Speakers
- Sonia Bahri(Moderator)French National Commission to UNESCO, Senior advisor for science and sustainable development
- Elpida Kolokytha(Rapporteur)Director, UNESCO Centre on Integrated and Multi-Disciplinary Water Resources Management, Professor, School of Civil Engineering
- Emma Davies(Rapporteur)UNESCO GWYN, MSc Earth Sciences
- H.E. Hani Sewilam(High level opening address)Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt, Minister
- Konstantin Scheihing, PhD(Session topic overview presentation)Groundwater Exploration and Management, Oldenburg-East Frisian Water Board (OOWV), Oldenburg, Germany, Lead Hydrogeologist
- Madhushree Chatterjee(Presentation of the Capacity Development Initiative)Division for Sustainable Goals of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), Chief of Natural Resources and Interlinkages Branch
- Günter Liebel(Panelists)Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management of the Republic of Austria, Secretary General
- Najat Mokhtar(Panelists)International Atomic Energy Agency, Deputy Director General, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications
- Conchita Marcuello(Panelists)Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge of Spain, Coordinator of International Water Affairs
- Deborah Mochotlhi(Panelists)Department of Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Water and Sanitation of South Africa, Deputy Director General
- John Cherry(Panelists)Principal Investigator at the G360 Institute; Director of the University Consortium for Field-Focused Groundwater Contamination Research, University of Guelph, Project Leader, The Groundwater Project
- Kitty Van Der Heijden(Panelists)Director General for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands