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WORKSHOP

Water – A Brake on Economic Development?

Thursday 16 August
08:30-16:00, Folkets Hus, Room 300

Convenor: Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
Co-Convenors: The World Conservation Union (IUCN), and the World Bank

As a lubricant of development, water is a critical issue in arid and semi-arid regions. Its crucial role for achieving basic livelihood security through water supply, health, hygiene and food is complex. It is an essential resource in income generation in the industry and service sectors.
A vicious circle of water scarcity, poverty, lack of investments and concerted efforts has to be broken if further increases in poverty and environmental degradation are to be avoided.

Is water a brake on economic development?
In what sense and in what contexts is water a brake on economic development? What kind of documentation do we have?

Initiatives for breaking out of the vicious circle
Water scarcity and risks associated with water use are critical in arid and semi-arid regions and among the poor. To what extent is increasing hydrologic variability a constraint to growth, and in which parts of the world? What kinds of development initiatives need priority for breaking out of this vicious circle?

Water for livelihood and income generation
What is the relationship between water, human livelihoods and income generation in rural areas? How great a threat does inadequate water management and development pose in these communities? What options exist for diminishing vulnerabilities and generating income in poverty stricken areas with highly variable climate and water scarcity?

Workshop Programme, 08:30-16:00 Folkets Hus, Room 300

Chair: Prof. Peter Rogers, Harvard University, USARapporteur: Dr. Olli Varis, Helsinki University of Technology, Water Resources Laboratory, Finland
Commentator: Dr. Francois Brikke, Regional Team Leader (America Latina) Water and Sanitation Program, World Bank

Session 1: Overview
08:30 Introduction
08:40 The Dynamics of Water, Wealth and Poverty. Dr. Claudia Sadoff, The World Conservation Union (IUCN)
09:00 Water in the Economy: From Theory to Practice (the Case of Morocco). Dr. Hynd Bouhia, Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister of Morocco (Invited Speaker)
09:20 Dr. Ger Bergkamp, Coordinator, Water and Nature Initiative, IUCN (Invited Speaker)
09:40 Water Futures for the MENA Region: The Vicious Circle of Economy, Urbanisation, Employment, Governance, Environment, Climate and Water. Dr. Olli Varis, Water Resources Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland

Session 2: Strategies
10:00 Water and Development: Quantifying the Role of Variability and Resilience Requirements. Dr. Casey Brown, PE Water Team Leader, Associate Research Scientist, International Research Institute for Climate and Society Columbia University, USA
10:15 Speaker to be confirmed
10:30 Coffee Break
11:00 The Implications of Increasing Water Demand and Potential Climate Change in the Volta Basin for Ghana’s Socio-economic Development. Dr. Victor Afari-Sefa, Center for Development Research, Germany
11:15 Lubricant of the Social and Economy Development in the Extreme Water Scarce Area – A Review of the Rainwater Harvesting in China. Prof. Qiang Zhu, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, China
11:30 A Framework for Evaluating the Hydrologic and Economic Repercussions of Bioenergy Development within the Columbia River Basin in the USA. Dr. Michael Barber, USA
11:45 Discussion
12:00 Lunch

Session 3: Cases
13:30 Socioeconomic Efficency of Water Use. Dr. López Martos, Doctor in Civil Engineering of the Hydrographic Confederation of the Guadalquivir River Basin, Spain
13:40 The Role of Small scale Wastewater Treatment in the Development of Water Resources in West bank of Palestine. Mr. Mohammad Sbeih, Palestinian Territories
13:50 Industrial Pollution and Inter Stakeholder Conflict on Water: A multi pronged Approach to Find Out a Solution. Mr. Saugat Ganguly, India
14:00 Economic Growth or Environment? Politics of Groundwater Depletion in India. Mr. K. H. Anantha, Institute for Social and Economic Change, India

Session 4
14:10 General Discussion/Conclusions
16:00 Close of Workshop

Click here to read all of the oral and poster presentation abstracts for this workshop