presentation of

the UN WORLD WATER

21-22 MAY 2015AQUAE VENEZIA PAVILION

high level conference

in collaboration with:

WATER for a

SUSTAINABLE WORLD

DEVELOPMENT REPORT

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Hosted and led by UNESCO, the United Nations World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) was founded in 2000 as a response to the request from the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development to provide a periodic overview of the status and use of water resources globally.

WWAP coordinates the work of 31 UN-Water members and 37 partners, including international organizations and NGOs, to produce the annual United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR). The WWDR is the flagship publication of the United Nations on the state, use and management of the world’s freshwater resources.

Other activities of WWAP include projects focusing on the assessment, monitoring and reporting on the state of water resources, as well as capacity-building initiatives that seek to equip water managers and decision-makers with data, tools and skills to participate effectively in policymaking.

Since 2007 WWAP is funded by the Italian Government and the Umbria Region that provides Villa La Colombella in Perugia as headquarters for the Secretariat.

www.unesco.org/water/wwap

The 2015 edition of the WWDR addresses the theme “Water for a Sustainable World”. The current edition provides readers with a Vision for 2050 of an achievable sustainable world in which water is the core of sustainable development and managed in support of human well-being and ecosystem integrity in a robust economy.

The WWDR 2015 examines the many and often complex interlikages between water, and the three dimensions of sustainable development: social, economic and environmental. The report analyses the role of water in addressing several critical developmental challenges, such as water supply, sanitation and hygiene, accelerated urbanization, food and energy security, industrial growth and climate change.

The WWDR 2015 also addresses the main theme from a regional perspective, as water and sustainable development issues vary from one region to another.

In its final chapter, the WWDR 2015 contributes to the debate on the post-2015 development agenda by providing possible responses and means of implementation.

www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr

The United Nations World WaterAssessment Programme (WWAP UNESCO)

The United Nations World Water Development Report 2015 (WWDR 2015)

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Villa La Colombella, Perugia

CONFERENCE AGENDA

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• H.E. Gianluca Galletti, Minister, Italian Ministry of Environment and Protection of Land and Sea (tbc) • Pier Paolo Baretta, Undersecretary, Italian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance • Blanca Jimenez-Cisneros, Vice Chair, UN-Water and Director, UNESCO Division of Water Sciences • Véronique Dauge, Officer in Charge, UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (BRESCE) in Venice • Jan Dusik, Director, UNEP Regional Office for Europe

16:50 - 17:05 KEYNOTE SPEECH “Roadmap to sustainable development through water resources managementandtheimplementationoftheSDGs” Hans D’Orville, Special Adviser to UNESCO Director General

17:05 - 17:30 PRESENTATION World Water Development Report 2015 “WaterforaSustainableWorld” Michela Miletto, Coordinator a.i., WWAP UNESCO

17:30 - 18:10 HIGH LEVEL PANEL “SevenBillionDreams.OnePlanet.ConsumewithCare” Chair and Keynote Speaker: Jan Dusik, Director, UNEP Regional Office for Europe

• Carlo Medaglia, Chief, Office of the Italian Minister of Environment and Protection of Land and Sea • Sabina Ratti, Executive Director, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) • Analia Mendez, Expertise and Authority Director, Household Care, Unilever • Francesco Tei, Head, Dep. of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia

18:10 - 18:20 CLOSING REMARKS

Simultaneous translation EN/IT is provided

Wat e r f o r a s u s ta i n a b l e w o r l dMaster of Ceremony: Giuseppe Mattiazzo, CEO, EXPO Venice Spa

This is a contributing event to the celebrations for World Environment Day 2015 (5 June). Panel organized by the Italian Ministry of Environment and UNEP.

16:00 - 16:50 WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS

Michele Bugliesi, Rector, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

Villa La Colombella, Perugia

CONFERENCE AGENDA

10:00 - 10:30 OPENING and KEYNOTE SPEECH “Waterandsustainabledevelopment” Marco Marzano de Marinis, Secretary General, World Farmers’ Organisation

10:30 - 11:45 PANEL DISCUSSION “Definingcriticaldevelopmentalchallenges” Chair and Moderator: Carlo Giupponi, Professor, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

• Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) Access to water and sanitation is a human right and despite great improvements made to increase the levels of access, many remain unserved. There is a need to attain sustainable WASH services since lack of it takes a huge toll on health and well-being and comes at a large financial cost. Analia Mendez, Expertise and Authority Director, Household Care, Unilever

• Urbanization Cities have become the place where development challenges and opportunities increasingly come face to face. In 2014, over half of the global population lived in cities, and by 2050, two-thirds will. In addition this trend is accompanied by a rapid growth of the slum population. Jose Luis Martin Bordes, Programme Officer, GWOPA/UN-Habitat

• Food and Agriculture By 2050, agriculture will need to produce 60% more food globally, while current growth rates of agricultural demands on the world’s freshwater resources are unsustainable. Water use efficiency will need to be increased and pollution reduced. Jippe Hoogeveen, Land and Water Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

• Conflicting uses of the resource Growing demands for finite water resources lead to competition between their respective users. This increases the risk of localized conflicts and continued inequities in access to services, with significant impacts on local economies and human well-being. Josefina Maestu, Director, United Nations Office to Support the International Decade for Action (UN-DPAC) ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015

• Climate Change and Variability Climate change will dramatically impact the distribution and availability of water resources, as well as increase the frequency and intensity of water-related disasters. New data sources and improved model forecasts along with planning, preparedness and coordinated responses through adaptive management strategies are needed to increase resilience of communities. Henk van Schaik, The European Centre of the University for Peace (UPEACE The Hague)

This speech will introduce the three pillars of sustainable development addressing in particular the aspects related to poverty and social equity, economic development and protection of ecosystems in relation with food, energy and water security.

C o p i n g w i t h m a n y m o r e o f u s :s u s ta i n a b l e d e v e l o p m e n t i n a c r o w d e d w o r l d

Master of Ceremony: Michela Miletto, Coordinator a.i., UNESCO WWAP

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CONFERENCE AGENDA

11:45 - 12:15 PREVIEW EVENT of the WWAP UNESCO Project “TheWaterRooms”

Carlo Medaglia, Chief, Office of the Italian Minister of Environment and Protection of Land and Sea • Analia Mendez, Expertise and Authority Director, Household Care, Unilever Sara Gandolfi, Journalist, Il Corriere della Sera (tbc) • Francesca Ferrario, Animator and Illustrator 12:15 - 14:00

14.00 - 14.20 KEYNOTE DISCUSSION “Datarevolutionforsustainabledevelopment” Carlo Giupponi, Professor, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Alessandra Alfieri,Environment Statistics Section, United Nations Stistics Division (UNSD)

14.20 - 15.30 PANEL DISCUSSION “Respondingtothechallenges” Chair and Moderator: Sabina Ratti, Executive Director, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM)

• Energy and land use policies focusing on green financing A transition to green economies based on environmentally sustainable economic policies is needed. This may occur through the development of green industries, including social investments and multi-stakeholder partnerships. Further, ecosystem-based management, ecosystem valuation, and greening agricultural practices may be part of the solution for sustainable management of water resources. Jane Wilkinson, Associate Director, Climate Policy Initiative

• Governance and conflicts resolution The global water crisis is one of governance much more than of resource availability. Governance failure may lead to water over-abstraction, misallocation of the resource and potential conflicts. This calls for engaging a broad range of societal actors through inclusive governance structures according to the principles of equity, participation and accountability. Marianne Kjellén, Programme Director, UNDP Water Governance Facility, SIWI

• Water Footprint Virtually all commodities we consume or use on a daily basis require the input of water. The largest water use occurs by the agricultural, energy production and manufacturing sectors. Water footprints of these sectors are, more often than not, unsustainable and considerable efforts will be necessary in the fields of policy-making, technological innovation, and behavioral changes to revert these practices. Ruth Mathews, Executive Director, Water Footprint Network

Session organized in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Environment, Unilever and other Partners to introduce the rationale of the project and give a sneak-peek about the work in progress and the upcoming launch.

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A duet discussion setting the scene of the second panel and providing critical food for thought on the data revolution debate and the future drawn by the post-2015 agenda.

Lunch Break

Improved gender equity is key to boosting water management and access. Despite a significant increase in gender awareness, results on the ground remain limited with the inclusion of women in decision-making on water development and management lagging behind. The development of indicators that disaggregate data by gender may enable future water assessment, monitoring and reporting mechanisms to disseminate on existing gender issues, a first leap in solving them. Lesha Witmer, Independent Senior Expert, Women for Water Partnership

Chair: Francesco Tei, Head, Dep. of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences,University of Perugia

Gender Equity

CONFERENCE AGENDA

• Managing the water-energy-food-environment nexus

Emanuela Colombo, Professor and Chairholder, UNESCO Chair in Energy for Sustainable Development

15.30 - 16.00 Coffee Break

16.00 - 17.00 PANEL PRESENTATIONS “Waterandsustainabledevelopmentfromalocalstandpoint: countriesperspectiveandexperiences” Chair and Moderator: Blanca Jimenez-Cisneros, Secretary, UNESCO International Hydrological Programme; and Director, UNESCO Division of Water Sciences

The session presents three case studies from the WWDR 2015 and one from WWDR 2014 to highlight good practices, innovative approaches but also challenges related to sustainable and integrated water resources management through the lenses of region-specific examples.

• Sustainable water resources management in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. How the contribution of aquifers to meet the increasing water demand is challenges the environmental sustainability causing degradation and depletion of the aquifers and land collapsing. Mohammad Alrashed, Executive Director, Water Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research

• The Cultivating Good Water Programme in the Paranà River Basin/Brazil. A collective approach to water resources management to limit environmental degradation. Nelton Miguel Friedrich, Environment Coordinator, ITAIPU Binacional/Cultivando Agua Boa, Brazil

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River contracts for sustainable development in the Italian context: the Serchio River, an example of collective governance. The river contract as a participatory management tool for the protection of rivers, restoration of the environment and better planning of land use. Massimo Bastiani, National Coordinator, River Contracts; and Endro Martini, President, Alta Scuola Q&A session

17.00 - 17.30 CONCLUSIONS This session will wrap-up the discussions of the day and invite the public to other Expo events (both in Milan and Venice) coordinated by main Partners.

• Michela Miletto, Coordinator a.i. , WWAP UNESCO • Gabriela Scanu, Italian Ministry of Environment and Protection of Land and Sea • Philippe Pypaert, Programme Specialist, UNESCO Venice • Maria Ernesta Ranieri, Environment and Energy Coordinator, Umbria Region •

Water, energy and food are inextricably linked as water is required to produce energy and food, energy to produce and distribute water and food. But also the environment - although often overlooked - is part of this nexus: ecosystems provide with clean water, and the energy and food production sectors often imply serious environmental externalities.

Multidisciplinary research on geothermal resources in Umbria, Italy: the lack of data and understanding of this resource means that often this renewable and sustainable source of energy is not taken into consideration in energy planning. The results of the study have led to the integration of geothermal energy into the regional sustainable energy plan.Angelo Viterbo, Manager, Water Resources Department, Umbria Region

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NOTES

conference venue

The AQUAE VENICE 2015 pavilion is located in via Galileo Ferraris, 5 in Venice Marghera. The entrance is at the corner of via Pacinotti and Via Galileo Ferraris.

MORE INFO: www.aquae2015.org/where

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CONTACT: wwap@unesco.org