WAITRO Summit 2024, Day 2 Breakout Session – Water Innovation: Towards Sustainable Communities

On November 14, 2024, the breakout session themed “Water Innovation: Towards Sustainable Communities” was held at the WAITRO Summit 2024. Co-hosted with the @Royal Scientific Society of Jordan (RSS), this breakout session provided a platform for experts to discuss water innovation in addressing the water resource crisis in the MENA region, focusing on opportunities, challenges, and recommendations. Prof. Rana N. Ardah, Manager of Water Studies at RSS, chaired the session.

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Prof. Ardah opened the floor by introducing the current situation of water resources in the MENA region, highlighting the challenges of water scarcity, including natural scarcity, climate change, rapid population growth, and improper water resource management.

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Panelists then shared their views on the importance of water innovation in building sustainable communities, emphasizing the crucial role of technological innovation, policy reform, and regional cooperation in the sustainable management of water resources.

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Jean-Marc Champagne from Seneca Impact Advisors (Hong Kong) broke the ice by discussing the potential of using private financing to benefit water management projects. He cited a case on water innovation that reformed an agricultural practice that combined rice farming and shrimp farming, which prevented unnecessary flooding in agricultural areas. This approach indirectly benefits water management through technological and business model innovation. He also stressed the need for appropriate policies and regulations.

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Dr. Davis Karimanzira from the Surface Water and Marine System Group at the Fraunhofer Institute emphasized that solving the problem of water scarcity and promoting sustainable development requires a focus on environmental protection and resource conservation, such as changing dietary preferences and agricultural practices that can lead to massive water use.

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From a commercial perspective, company representatives Joyce Wu from LEM Base and Joey Yu from Jiangsu Tianyuan Environmental Science and Technology Co. Ltd. shared their experiences in China. Wu mentioned that Chinese clients often use containers to collect rainwater or recycle water for car washing and other daily uses. Yu suggested that innovation in new materials is also an approach to recycling water and preventing untreated water disposal.?

The session also discussed various solutions for water innovation in addressing the gap in research, industry, and policy alignments in interests and partnerships. Panelists shared strategies to overcome communication challenges, engage with the right communities, and achieve consensus with stakeholders regarding problem descriptions from not only the angle of environmental protection but also from other angles like financial and health impacts.

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Finally, the session emphasized the importance of water recycling technologies in addressing the water resource crisis. It also suggested bridging the gap across stakeholders and making holistic efforts toward more sustainable water management through communication and marketing approaches to achieve efficient utilization of financing and policy support for water innovation technologies.

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Watch the video recording: https://youtu.be/aUstXSlV_So?feature=shared