Proposal for IANAS Water Programme for Activities in 2015-2016
The IANAS Water Programme will be finishing the publication of the book on Urban Waters at the
end of 2014 and the first months of 2015. It is possible that the book will be officially presented in
November at the 40th anniversary of the IHP Programme of UNESCO. The book will be a unique
contribution in identifying the most important problems and possible solutions to water resources
in urban areas of 20 countries of all the Americas with chapters from North America, Mexico,
Central America, Caribbean and South America. There will also be activities related to the release
of the book in 2015.
Future plans 2015-2016
The IANAS Water Programme is planning a series of regional workshops which will focus on three
topics especially orientated towards supporting the implementation of the new Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). In the meeting of the IANAS Water Programme in 2013 an agreement
was made to prioritize the workshops for future development on 1) Climate Change and extreme
hydrological events and 2) Eutrophication of Surface Water and Reservoirs. These topics coincide
with reaching goal 6 (ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for
all) and of course Goal 13 (take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts). It is
important to mention that these topics were selected based on conclusions of the diagnosis made
in the two books published by the Water Programme (Diagnosis of Water in the Americas and
Urban Waters of the Americas) and of course associated with the need for capacity training for
professionals and managers in water resource management using the accumulation of knowledge
and on-hand research experience of the water specialists from the programme and their
relationships to other specialists in the field in order to enhance the links between science and
water management. These workshops will involve the focal point representatives of the Water
Programme and associates as professors and will seek out the participation of young water
scientists and water resource managers from governmental water authorities and other
institutions involved in the link between science and policy-making. These topics were an
agreement of the 2013 meeting of the Water Programme in Lima, Peru.
A third topic is being proposed by the Water Programme coordination taking into consideration
the recent interrelationship developed in the last year between two IANAS Programmes, Water
and Energy. This should be a special workshop dedicated to training specialists on how the
availability of water has an impact on the efficiency of different energy supply forms and vice
versa how the sustainability of water supply depends on the generation of energy. This could be
an event planned by both programmes of IANAS as the goal of the Energy and Water Programs of
the IANAS is orientated in this direction to promote a sustainable energy future and watershed
management in the Americas with the contribution of scientists from all participating countries.
Just recently the UN Report 2014 Water and Energy has been published to enrich knowledge on
this very important relationship and as noted by the Director-General of UNESCO in the forward to
the UN “Clearly, technical solutions will not be enough to address stakes that are, above all,
political, economic and educational. Education for sustainable development is essential to help
new generations create win–win equations for water and energy. Private sector engagement and
government support to research and development are crucial for the development of renewable
– and less water intensive – energy sources”. The SDG goal 7.3 emphasizes the improvement in
energy efficiency and the use of water plays a very important role.
Due to the experience of many IANAS members in designing and organizing training courses and
Postgraduate programmes in Water Sciences, it should also be considered including a new type of
activity in the development of model curriculum for water managers which should be designed to
improve the outreach to more water managers in the hemisphere in different forms such as
distance courses or U-tube lectures.
One of the main conclusions of the book on Urban Waters which was observed in almost all
countries of Latin America is the lack of treatment of waste waters in cities. It is important to
promote better technical and managerial knowledge in striving to improve coverage and solutions
to waste water treatment.
There will be a special effort made in the planning of these workshops and other activities to
incorporate scientists from Africa to increase their contribution to the management of water in
their countries. It is strongly suggested that financial resources will be funded by multiple
sources.in order to achieve the quality of all activities. In the last years, IANAS has organized
workshops and publications in association with sister organizations such as Global Water
Partnership and the division of Water Sciences of UNESCO and it is strongly suggested to further
develop these initiatives in partnership with these organizations .