2008 Water Sciences Forum - June 27, 2008

Cutting Edge Technologies for Water Services: Applications in Africa

Only 2.5 percent of the water on Earth is fresh and, of that, more than two-thirds is locked away in glaciers. Human activities profoundly affect the quantity and quality of available freshwater. Already, 1.1 billion people in developing countries—nearly one-sixth of Earth’s population—have limited access to freshwater.

The June 27, 2008 Water Sciences Forum hosted at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., brought together more than 100 participants, including U.S. government water and water policy technical experts, academics, and representatives from UNESCO’s International Hydrological Program (IHP), the U.S. National Committee for the IHP, NGO's, and foreign embassies. The Forum’s purpose was to review water-related technologies and identify areas where U.S. expertise is applicable to the freshwater challenges facing African countries.

Welcome and Keynote:

• Forum Program

• Introductory Remarks - "Our Water, Our Future"
  Presented by: Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director, National Science Foundation

• Welcome and Opening Remarks
  Presented by: Dr. Paula J. Dobriansky Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs U.S. Department of State

Opening Remarks:

• Opening of the 2008 Water Science Forum “Cutting-Edge Technology for Water Services: Application in Africa”
  Presented by: Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, Director General, UNESCO

Keynote

• Science and Technology in Support of Water for the People of Africa
  Presented by: Dr. Robert Hirsch, U.S. Geological Survey

Panel I: Science and Engineering to Address Water Issues in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions

Topic Presentation:

• Science and Engineering to Address Water Resource Management Issues in Arid and Semi-arid Regions
  Presented by: Dr. Juan Valdes, Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA), University of Arizona

Respondents:

• Water Resource Scarcity in Africa
  Presented by: Dr. Kodjo Amegee, International Geosphere Biosphere Program on Climate Change for Sub-Sahara Africa

• International Center for Integrated Water Resources Management
  Presented by: Dr. Eugene Stakhiv, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

• Water and Climate in Semi-Arid Africa
  Presented by: Dr. James Verdin, National Integrated Drought Information System Program Office

Panel II: Science and Engineering to Address Water Issues on Drinking Water and Sanitation

Topic Presentation:

• Science and Technology Science and Technology for Clean Drinking Water and Sanitation
  Presented by: Dr. Mark Shannon, Center for Advanced Materials for the Purification of Water with Systems (WaterCAMPWS), University of Illinois

Respondents:

• Water Pollution and Sanitation Problems: The African Challenge
  Presented by: Dr. Jean-Claude Bonzongo, University of Florida

• Opportunities for Improving Human Health by Capitalizing on Past Experience in Water Management in the U.S.
  Presented by: Dr. Sally Gutierrez,Environmental Protection Agency

• Necessary Factors for Sustained Access to Safe Drinking Water & Sanitation Services in Developing Communities
  Presented by: Dr. Garrick Louis, University of Virginia

Concluding Remarks

• Closing Comments
  Presented by: Presented by: Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, Director General, UNESCO

Conference Announcement

International Conference on Water Scarcity, Global Changes, and Groundwater Management Responses
To be held: 1-5 December 2008, University of California, Irvine, United States
Convened by UNESCO, the University of California, Irvine and USGS