Indicative Programme
Access the below indicative programme to learn more on the different sessions, keynote speakers, distinguished panellists, etc. for IWRA’s 2021 Online Conference. Kindly note that the programme were in Central European Time (CET).
Day 1
Monday, June 7th
13:15-14:45
Opening Ceremony
Moderator:
Renée Martin-Nagle,
IWRA Treasurer; CEO, A Ripple Effect pllc; Special Counsel, Eckert Seamans; & Visiting Scholar at the Environmental Law Institute
Co-Moderator:
Mary Trudeau,
Project Officer, IWRA
Welcome messages:
Gabriel Eckstein,
IWRA President; Professor of Law, Texas A&M University; & Director, Law School’s Program, Natural Resources Systems
Daniel Gustafson,
Former Deputy Director General, Special Advisor to the Director General FAO
Setting the Scene:
Sasha Koo-Oshima,
Deputy Director & Head of Water Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations
Vice-President, IWRA
Professor General, Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Planning and Design, Ministry of Water Resources, China
Rabi Mohtar,
Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Life Sciences, American University of Beirut & Professor of Environmental Resources Engineering, Texas A&M
Keynote Speaker:
James (Jim) W. Jones,
Distinguished Professor Emeritus,
University of Florida
Opening Remarks:
Aziza Akhmouch,
Head of Division – Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development OECD
Loïc Fauchon,
President, World Water Council
Q&A
Moderator:
Omar Elhassan,
Environmental AMR and Water Management Expert, Land and Water Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Introduction & welcome remarks:
Sasha Koo-Oshima,
Deputy Director & Head of Water Food, FAO
Keynote speakers:
“The environmental surveillance of agricultural water using WGS and its impact on food safety”
Steve Musser,
Deputy Director, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)
“Experiences and lessons learned from food safety and AMR monitoring and surveillance projects in Indonesia”
Jaap Wagenaar,
Professor, Utrecht University; Director, WHO-Collaborating Center for Campylobacter and Antimicrobial Resistance from a One Health Perspective; & Director, OIE-Reference Laboratory for Campylobacteriosis
“Microbiological Hazards and Safety and Quality of Water Used in Food Production”
Kang Zhou,
Food Safety and Quality Officer, FAO – Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA)
“Food safety and AMR and experiences and lessons learned”
Panellists:
Eric Stevens, – Moderator
International Policy Analyst, Office of the Center Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, USFDA
Carmen Bullon,
Legal Officer, Legal Division, FAO
Sarah Cahill,
Codex Alimentarius, Senior Food Standards Officer, FAO
Kate Medlicott,
Team Lead, Sanitation and Wastewater, World Health Organization (WHO)
Pernille Nilsson,
SEQAFRICA Project Manager, Technical University of Denmark
Closing remarks
Eric Stevens,
International Policy Analyst, Office of the Center Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, USFDA
Moderator:
Raya Marina Stephan,
International Water Consultant, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Water International & Executive Board, IWRA
Co-Moderator:
Asma Bachikh,
Executive Board, IWRA & Consultant, World Bank Group
Keynote Speaker:
“How can we better manage water for food and public health in a changing world?”
Josiane Nikiema,
Research Group Leader – Circular Economy and Water Pollution, IWMI
Panellists:
“Presentation on Climate Change Implications to Food Security in High Food Importing Countries: Food Import Vulnerability in the Gulf Cooperation Council and Some Global Insights”
Kenneth Strzepek,
Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
“Conflict-Sensitive Programming for Water Management: Lessons from the Global Environment Facility”
Shehla Chowdhury,
Research Associate, Environmental Law Institute
“Quantifying Embedded Water in Agricultural Goods for Sustainable Groundwater Use in Mexico”
Gretchen Miller,
Associate Professor Civil & Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University
“Use of Natural Products as Green Reducing Agents to Produce Effective Nano-disinfectants for Wastewater Remediation”
Jingbo Liu,
Professor, Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Texas A&M Energy Institute
“One Water – One Health – One Earth: The Triple-O concept for a sustainable Anthropocene”
Karen G. Villholth,
Principal Researcher, IWMI, International Water Management Institute – Southern Africa Office
Q&A
Moderator:
Tala Awada,
Associate Dean, Agricultural Research Division; Professor, Plant Ecophysiology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Keynote Speaker:
Andre F Van Rooyen,
Acting Country Representative – Ethiopia; Innovation systems for the Drylands International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
Keynote Q&A:
Mark Smith – moderator
Director General, International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Panellists:
“Water as an explanatory factor for food security in drylands: development of a composite index”
Fernando Riaza,
Universidad Politéncia de Madrid
“Water Energy Food Nexus and Energy in Irrigation in India: Externalities and its impacts on Food Security, Water Security and Public Health”
Gayathri Naik,
Ph.D. Candidate, SOAS University of London
“Hydrological assessment approach for the elaboration of the hydro-agricultural infrastructure project aimed at the development of mangrove rice cultivation in Guinea Bissau”
Riccardo Torri,
EG-Team (Engineering Geology Consultancies)
“Achieving Sustainable Food Security through Water Accounting within the Agricultural Sector in Botswana”
Tebogo Keletso,
KGM Consulting
“Health risk assessment based on pesticide monitoring in Saïss plain (Morocco) groundwater“
Imane Berni,
Cluster of Competency “Health and Environment”, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco
Q&A
Day 2
Tuesday, June 8th
Moderator:
Alice Aureli,
Chief of the Groundwater Systems and Settlements Section, UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme & Programme Coordinator, ISARM
Co-Moderator:
Pedi Obani,
Assistant Professor, School of Law, University of Bradford
Panellists:
“Science-policy nexus: using resource directed measures as policy implementation strategies to promote integrated water resource management, South Africa”
Stanley Nzama,
Water Ecosystems Management, Department of Water and Sanitation, Pretoria
“Capacity building in multi-disciplinary scientific methods for improved understanding of the impact of conservation agriculture on groundwater resources in Africa”
Daina Mudimbu,
Department of Chemistry and Earth Sciences, University of Zimbabwe
“Free Power, Irrigation and Groundwater Depletion: Impact of the Farm Electricity Policy of Punjab, India“
Disha Gupta,
Delhi School of Economics
“Method for assessing the health risk of the rural population from the hydrochemical regime of surface waters“
Sergey Myagkov,
Hydrometeorological Research Institute
“Legal Implications of the Use of Big Data in the Transboundary Water Context“
Imad Antoine Ibrahim,
College of Law – Qatar University
“Comprehensive Groundwater Research: Evidence to Policy Perspectives in ASALs“
Florence Tanui,
University of Nairobi, Kenya
Q&A
Moderator:
Mark Smith,
Director General, International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Co-Moderator:
Henning Bjornlund,
Research Professor, Water Policy and Management, University of South Australia & Chair, Science, Technology and Publication Committee, IWRA
Panellists:
“Sustainable spring watershed management system in the Indo- Himalayan Region: Village community challenges and its planning approaches“
Kunal Sharma,
Consultant Civil Nabcons, Guwahati, Assam
“Water Management at Agricultural Catchment – Sustainable & Technological Approaches for Pollution“
Shivaraju Harikaranahalli Puttaiah,
Department of Water and Health, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research
“Rejuvenating resilience in the agrarian livelihood of Western Indian Himalayan region – A water perspective“
Partik Kumar,
Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network
“Integrating sustainable agriculture management and increasing farmers income in Saudi Arabia“
Kakoli Ghosh,
Chief Technical Advisor, SRAD – Programme, FAO
“Adaptation Strategies and Barriers to Water Scarcity: A Qualitative Analysis in Southern Iran“
Siroos Jafari,
Soil Sciences Department, Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Khuzestan
“The WASH-small-scale irrigation linkage: Insights from rural Ethiopia“
Chloe Van Biljon,
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
“Industrial and environmental Managed Aquifer Recharge-related water security cases contributing to food safety and public health“
Enrique Fernández-Escalante,
Tragsa Group- IAH-MAR Commission
Q&A
Moderator:
Raya M. Stephan,
International Water Consultant, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Water International & Executive Board, IWRA
Co-Moderator:
Asma Bachikh,
Executive Board, IWRA & Consultant, World Bank Group
Panellists:
“Sustainable Development: A Strategic Approach for Sustainable Business Practices in Francistown Region in Botswana“
Kene Dick,
Department of Water & Sanitation
“Access to Handwashing with Soap Facility in Binduri District: A Post-sensitization Investigation of Drivers“
Andrew Limantol,
Lecturer, University of Environment and Sustainable Development
“Receiving Water Quality Models for Estimation of Total Maximum Daily Pollutant Loads: Case Study of the Küçük Menderes River Basin“
Nilsu Gevrekcioglu,
Dokuz Eylul University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Environmental Engineering
“How Can We Better Manage Water for Food and Public Health in a Changing World: Case of Somaliland”
Hodo Abdilahi,
Water & hydrological engineering
“Projecting LULC growth and associated impacts on hydrological process through scenario-based modelling – A road ahead for sustainable future“
Srishti Gaur,
Ph.D. Student, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
“Sustaining Groundwater resources for stabilising agrarian livelihood: A case study of South-western Haryana”
Partik Kumar,
RRA Network
“GIS based fluoride contamination mapping of groundwater and its exposure risks to the hilly populace of the Chenab River Basin in Jammu“
Deepika Slathia,
University of Jammu
Q&A
Moderator:
Rabi Mohtar,
Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Life Sciences, American University of Beirut & Professor, Environmental Resources, Engineering, Texas A&M
Panellists:
Gerda Verburg,
Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement and Assistant Secretary-General
Steve Musser,
Deputy Center Director for Scientific Operations, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Akiça Bahri,
Former Ministry of Agriculture, Tunisia
Tom Panella,
Director – Environment, Natural Resources, Agriculture – East Asia Department / Chair – Water Sector Committee, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Tom Williams,
Director, Water World Business Council For Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
John C. Tracy,
Director of Texas Water Institute & Interim Head of the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, Texas A&M University
Q&A
Sasha Koo-Oshima – moderator,
Deputy Director & Head of Water, FAO
Moderator:
Bassel Daher,
Research Scientist, Texas A&M Energy Institute
Keynote Speaker:
Christine Moe,
Professor, Eugene J. Gangarosa Chair in Safe Water and Sanitation, Rollins School of Public Health, Emroy University
Keynote Q&A:
Jennifer Sara – moderator,
Global Director, Water Global Practice, World Bank Group
Panellists:
“Agricultural Practices by Enhanced Water Quality through Iron-Based (Ferrate) Technology: Improved Population Health”
Virender Sharma,
Professor, Texas A&M University, School of Public Health
“Enhancing Well Water Safety through University and Health Department Partnership”
Yilin Zhuang,
Univeristy of Florida
“Challenges of persons with physical disabilities in accessing WaSH: Implications for sustainable universal health coverage. A case study from Lagos metropolis, Nigeria”
Isaiah Akoteyon,
Department of Geography and Planning, Lagos State University
“Breaking organizational stovepipes: Connecting water, sanitation, food, and public health”
Neil Grigg,
Professor, Colorado State University
Q&A
Jennifer Sara – moderator,
Global Director, Water Global Practice, World Bank Group
Moderator:
Rabi Mohtar,
Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Life Sciences, American University of Beirut & Professor of Environmental Resources Engineering, Texas A&M
Co-Moderator:
Mary Trudeau,
Project Officer, IWRA
Panellists:
“Influences of Pesticide Residue on attaining Food Security in Mauritius“
Vedendranand Chummun,
Open University of Mauritius
“Can shellfish and kelp aquaculture take advantage of water quality and carbon trading to reduce coastal pollution? A legal case study from California, USA“
Robin Craig,
University of Southern California Gould School of Law
“A Nexus trade-offs analysis of water, energy, food, nutrition and feedback to the environment in Lebanon“
Sandra Yanni,
Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut
“Thoughts: Genomics and Sulfur Water Bath trought skin of emotional Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients“
Isabel Santos,
Centre de Recherches Rhumatologiques et Thermales d’Aix-les-Bains
Q&A
Day 3
Wednesday, June 9th
Moderator:
Rabindra Osti
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Co-Moderator:
Gary Jones,
Executive Board, IWRA
Panellists:
” Transformation of rural landscapes for sustainable and nutritious food systems in Myanmar”
Matthew McCartney,
Research Group Leader, International Water Management Institute – Colombo
“Digital Water Management for Improving Resilience of Agriculture, Food and Health as a Response to Global Risks”
Maria Paula Mendes,
Ph.D. in Earth Resources, Researcher, CERIS, Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, Lisbon
“Suitability mapping as an effective tool for identifying potential locations for Managed Aquifer Recharge. A case study: Dunajec catchment, Poland”
Krzysztof Janik,
Assistant Professor, University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Earth Sciences
“The Co-MAR concept and how the groundwater user associations are improving integrated water resources management schemes, governance and water security. Demo-sites from Castilla y León“
Enrique Fernández-Escalante,
IAH-MAR Commission – Tragsa Group
“How can multiple water use services help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19? SMART Irrigation SMART WaSH in support of food security and health“
Maher Salman,
Senior Land and Water Officer, FAO
“Digital-water city: Leading urban water management to its digital future“
Hella Schwarzmüller,
Head of Groundwater Department, Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin gGmbH
Q&A
Moderator:
Iman Nuwayhid,
Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut
Panellists:
“Impacts of Climate Change on the Production of Major Crops and Health Security in Gilgit Baltistan Pakistan: Water-Food and Health Nexus”
Attaullah Shah,
Professor, University of Haripur Pakistan
Socio-Economic Status ans acces to Sanitary Facilities among Inhabitants of UGEP Community, cross River State Nigeria
Etim Eteng,
Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Calabar
“Analysis of spatial variability of groundwater quality in different climatic zones of Sri Lanka“
S. K. Gunatilake,
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
“Exploring removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater stream employing electrocoagulation and nanofiltration processes”
Jagdeesh Kumar,
Department of Hydrology, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee
“Food and Water for Life: co-creation and evaluation of sustainable community-led innovations to strengthen food and water security”
Greg Leslie,
Professor, School of Chemical Engineering & Director, UNSW Global Water Institute
“Critical review on the technological, social and institutional Barriers towards ensuring Sustainable acces to safe Water as a pivot for Resilience in Societes living in the Refugees Settlement”
Lazaro Paruason,
Civil Society- Field Worker and Researcher
“Linking land use dynamics, urban transformation and the complexity of surface water pollution: identifying risks and developing integrated solutions to water-borne disease in Accra, Ghana”
Joshua Ntajal,
Department of Geography, University of Bonn
Q&A
Mirella Aoun – moderator,
Assistant Research Professor at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the American Univeristy of Beirut
Moderator:
Dave Tickner,
Chief Freshwater Adviser, WWF-UK
Co-Moderator:
Lesha Witmer,
Steering Committee (advocacy lead), Women for Water Partnership
Panellists:
“Removal Efficiency of Banana Pseudo Stem as Activated Carbon for Pre-Treated Laundry Wastewater Treatment”
Diosa Marie Aguirre,
PSSE-BatStateU Student Chapter Member
“Sustainable Water Cycle Management – balancing conflicting demands for water services“
Charles Essery,
Sustainable Water Solutions
“Strategy of Groundwater Exploitation and Utilization based on Groundwater Functions in China“
Yan Yang,
General Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Planning and Design (GIWP), Ministry of Water Resources, China
“Exploration of a good water management system for both human development and ecosystem sustainability“
Ding Wang,
General Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Planning and Design (GIWP), Ministry of Water Resources, China
“The role of water recycling, environmental services, pollution licensing and effluent credits in delivering net zero discharge objectives for future communities”
Charles Essery,
Sustainable Water Solutions
Q&A
Applying Water Tenure Approaches to Achieve the SDGs
Moderator:
Benjamin Kiersch,
Coordinator, Project “Knowing water better: towards fairer and more sustainable access to natural resources – KnoWat”, Land and Water Division, FAO
Co-moderator:
Sofia Ramirez Fionda,
Publishing and Communication Specialist, Land and Water Division, FAO
Welcome remarks:
Sasha Koo-Oshima,
Deputy Director & Head of Water, FAO
Keynote speakers:
“Applying the water tenure concept for improved water security: SDG 6”
Stefano Burchi,
President, International Association of Water Law
“SDG 13 Water tenure and climate change”
Rojina Manandhar,
Programme Officer, Adaptation Division, UNFCCC
“SDG 5 Water tenure and gender equity”
Jessica Troell,
Director, International Water and Africa Programs, Environmental Law Institute
“SDG 15 Life on Land – Land and Water tenure linkages”
Jean Maurice Durand,
Senior Land Tenure Officer, FAO
“SDG 14 Live below Water – A fisheries and ecosystem perspective”
Rebecca Metzner,
Chief, Policy, Economics and Institutions Branch, Fisheries & Aquaculture Department, FAO
“Applying water tenure to achieve the SDGs: Perspectives from the audience”
Facilitated discussion among panel and audience
Closing remarks
Moderator:
Lesha Witmer,
Steering Committee (advocacy lead), Women for Water Partnership
Co-Moderator:
Pedi Obani,
Assistant Professor, School of Law, University of Bradford
Keynote Speaker:
John Etgen,
CEO, WET Project
Panellist:
“Competency-Based Curriculum design to enhance the employability of Agricultural Engineers in Water Sector in Tunisia”
Thouraya Souissi,
Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education – IRESA
“Groundwater Potentials Assessment of Langtang Area, Plateau State North Central“
Habila Alfred Zingchang,
National Water Resources Institute, Mando Road Kaduna
“Nutrient-rich diets increase food security, only if proper water quality is guaranteed”
Thijs de Lange,
Wageningen University and Research
” Accounting for the Human Impacts of Over-Exploiting Aquifers with Deteriorating Water Quality in Semi-arid Regions”
Peter S. K. Knappett,
Department of Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M University
Q&A
Moderator:
Renée Martin-Nagle,
IWRA Treasurer; CEO, A Ripple Effect pllc; Special Counsel at Eckert Seamans; Visiting Scholar at the Environmental Law Institute
Co-Moderator:
Mary Trudeau,
Project Officer, IWRA
Summary Remarks:
Tanja Miškova,
Ambassador of Water Diplomacy & Circular Economy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovenia
Keynote Q&A
Thematic Summaries:
Bassel Daher,
Research Scientist, Texas A&M Energy Institute
Pedi Obani,
Assistant Professor, School of Law, University of Bradford
Mark Smith,
Director General, International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Raya Marina Stephan,
International Water Consultant, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Water International & Executive Board, IWRA
Dave Tickner,
Chief Freshwater Adviser, WWF-UK
Closing Remarks
Marlos De Souza,
Secretary – Water Platform,
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rabi Mohtar,
Dean Faculty, Agricultural and Life Sciences, American University of Beirut & Professor, Environmental Resources, Engineering Texas A&M
Gabriel Eckstein,
IWRA President; Professor of Law, Texas A&M University, & Director, Law School’s Program, Natural Resources Systems
Keynote Speakers
Partners Organizations
The conference debates and results will contribute to achieving the objectives of the thematic areas – “Groundwater in a Changing Environment” and “Education Key to Water Security” – of the 8th phase of the UNESCO IHP programme on “Water Security: Responses to Local, Regional, and Global Challenges.
