Leading water innovators, policy makers, academics, researchers, investors, thinkers, catalysts, technocrats and entrepreneurs from across the globe will congregate in Bangalore for three days in February to discuss the future of innovation in the water sector.
They will participate in the first ‘Bangalore World Water Summit' organised jointly by the Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD), the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWS&DB) and the Indian Water Works Association (IWWA) from February 1 to 3.
Making an announcement at a pre-summit launch programme, A. Ravindra, Chairman of the CSD, on Wednesday said the urban water management summit has been designed to create an interactive three-day forum to bring focus, exchange thoughts and ideas and showcase trends and technologies to sustain and improve water resources and their efficient and effective management. “It is an attempt to find solutions for the pressing issues plaguing water management across the globe,” he added.
He said the summit is being positioned to be the most important event in the water sector. The idea is to generate the right ideas for water security. “With one third of the global population living in India and China by 2025, the region will face imminent water scarcity if adequate and sustainable water management initiatives are not implemented on a war footing,” he noted.
The water sector was entering a period of unprecedented change and now is the time to reinvent business models, embrace new technology and develop solutions to the world's water issues, he added.
The summit will focus on water resources and conservation, water quality and health, demand management, effects of climate change on water and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications for water management.
“It will be a multi-track conference, international trade show and knowledge exchange forum, with poster and paper sessions, case study presentations, water awards, water-tech tour and water walkathon,” said conference director Shyamsundar.
Chairman BWSSB P.B. Ramamurthy noted that the summit was a long-felt need in filling the gap in the water and sewerage sector.
The summit, he hoped would help in addressing the problems being faced by citizens of Silicon City in water and sewerage management. “The officers and engineers of the BWSSB and the KUWS&D will be exposed to development in the water and sewerage sector across the globe,” he said.
Events galore
As a lead up to the event, the BWSSB will organise public events from January 29 to create awareness and importance of water conservation. Water walkathon had been organised on the day, besides an exhibition by students from across the country on their impression of the future of water.
