International Water Conference: 10-13 September 2017

The Role of Water Technology Innovation in the Blue Economy

4th Water Research Conference

In association with The International Water Association and The Water Institute – University of Waterloo

Scope and Aims:

Planet Earth faces increasingly imminent water resource scarcity challenges due to population growth, wealth accumulation, climate change and society’s increasing demand for cleaner and more resource efficient production and consumption.

Meeting growing demand and avoiding catastrophic global water resource scarcity require the development and implementation of water technology innovation on the one hand and behavioral changes on the other hand. These push/supply and pull/demand factors ideally go hand in hand, but typically lack, in practice, the necessary institutional-economic coordination and governance structures. In addition, evidence-based transformative strategies based on cost-effective and efficient economic policy instruments towards the Blue Economy are missing despite increasing policy and political interest in concepts such as circular economy.

This international water conference, co-chaired by the editors in chief of the Elsevier journals Water Research and Water Resources and Economics and endorsed by the International Water Association (IWA), aims to highlight, discuss and advance state-of-the-art thinking and research to support the transition towards a Blue Economy, in particular the role of water science and technology innovation and the necessary institutional-economic enabling environment to foster sustainable behavioural change in current water use and depletion.

The conference solicits disciplinary and interdisciplinary paper presentations on the relevant technological, economic, social and governance dimensions underlying technology adoption and behavioural change towards the Blue Economy, in particular in urban and rural water systems as depicted.

Further Information:

Visit:  Conference website