International water conference targets management and sustainability

AN international water conference focusing on the sustainability and management of water resources, particularly in cities, was held in last November at Murdoch University.

Participants from Australia and the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean regions spoke on water issues and exchanged experiences.

The conference was organised by Murdoch’s Environmental Technology Centre (ETC) in association with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

ETC Director, Professor Goen Ho, said the Conference focused particularly on the sustainability of water resources.

In Australia this is particularly pertinent as we are facing serious drought, he said.

We do not want to simply focus on drought proofing, but on long-term sustainability including field innovations, case studies on safe and reliable systems, recycling of nutrients and the reuse of wastewater.

Considerably more people will live in cities, said Dr Steve Halls, Director of UNEP International Environmental Technology Centre, with the largest growth taking place in the Asia Pacific region. Meeting the demand for water for cities will be a paramount task for decision makers in the region.

In his closing session Dr John Zillman, Director of Meteorology of Australia and representing UNESCO Australian National Commission, remarked on the significant progress that had been achieved since the last UNESCO meeting he was associated with in Australia about 13 years ago, and that sustainability is now truly in the vocabulary of water management.

A two-day pre-conference workshop hosted by ETC in association with the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) was formally opened by the Minister for Environment and Heritage, the Hon Dr Judy Edwards MLA.

Ms Janine Nechwatal, ICLEI Water Campaign Manager, said councils from around Australia had demonstrated leadership in the area of water resource management.

ICLEI Australia/New Zealand is taking the lead role in an international Water Campaign that focuses on integrated water resource management with local governments and communities, said Ms Nechwatal.

By preparing an inventory of water use by local governments and their communities, councils can influence that usage.

Action plans can then be brought to bear to reduce water consumption and increase the quality of water discharge for local government areas.

More information on the conference and other research at the ETC can be examined at http://wwwscieng.murdoch.edu.au/centres/ies/etc