This Friday and Saturday the Noja town will become an international reference for reflection and exchange of experiences at European and Latin American level on participatory water management.
The conference on Water, Development and Citizenship, organized by Documenta-European Institute for Training and Development-, are framed in a project carried out in Ecuador, funded by the Spanish International Cooperation Agency (AECI) and has also counted with the support and collaboration from the Government of Cantabria and from the Municipality of Santander at different stages.
At the conference will be an interesting debate among Water and Cooperation sector experts, and will present different projects launched by the AECID Water Fund, the Government of Cantabria through CIMA, The Alliance for Water, ECODES, Water Assessment and Advisory Global Network (WASA-GN), la Fundación Nueva Cultura del Agua, La Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano and Documenta.
At the conference will also participate PHDs, academics, researchers and students from the universities of Cantabria and Zaragoza, Cantabria Hydraulic Institute, the Chair of Cooperation COIBA, and the College La Almunia.
The objectives of the conference are: To share knowledge on water management from the academic, governmental and nongovernmental point of view, to promote innovative alliances and networks that enable new forms of inter-university cooperation and synergies among organizations at international. Finally, it offers a practical approach to management and resolution environmental conflicts, regarding water management, through a workshop which will be held on Saturday.
The conference is aimed particularly at professionals and technicians related to participatory water management, as well as makers, university students and volunteers in development cooperation projects with interest in this field.
An important fact to highlight is that during the conference, specifically on the 18th, will present the Executive Summary: Lisbon World Forum 21: Water, Energy and Sustainable Development. The person in charge to present it will be, Carlos Fernandez-Jauregui, who has been Director of the United Nations Office Support to the International Decade for Action “Water for Life” and is currently president of WASA-GN, international organization, whose purpose is to create global synergies to promote the rational management of water resources in the world
This document contains the following recommendations for Rio + 20:
• To promote a change of paradigm
• To create the UN World Water Agency
• To create a world center of Sustainable development
• To promote the Culture as a central pillar of sustainability.
The panels that will be presented during the morning and Friday afternoon are:
” Theoretical approximation and academic vision of the Integrated Water Resources Management”, with the participation of the University of Cantabria and the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics, the Fundación Nueva Cultura del Agua, the Master in Sustainable River Management and Integrated Water management, (University of Zaragoza), the Technical College of La Almunia and the Zaragoza Water Club.
“Best Practices held in Spain in Participatory Management of Water”. Here will be released experiences promoted by the Government of Cantabria through the Environmental Research Center (CIMA) such as the European Projects SUDOE and the Rios Project. Also will be presented experiences promoted from the third sector by ECODES, like the contract of Matarraña River.
“The Spanish Development Cooperation in the Water sector.” Multilateral projects, governmental and nongovernmental and cooperation trends. This panel will have Rafael Dominguez’ reflection. Director of the Department of Cooperation of the University of Cantabria. And where it will be known the Water Cooperation Fund and Sanitation projects, from the Alliance for Water and WASA GN.
“The process promoted in Ecuador in Guayllabamba Basin” which will have the participation of the Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano and it will be known the Participatory Water Management in Intelligent and Responsible Territories model which Documenta has transferred to the beneficiaries of the project in Ecuador.
On Saturday a Workshop will take place “Management and resolution of environmental conflicts. Experiences and ways to face conflict in relation to Water “. This practical workshop will present the methodology for management and conflict resolution implemented by the Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano, in several conflicts in Latin America.
After the closing ceremony of the conference. There will be a guided tour to the “Trasmiera Ecopark” awarded in 2011 with the EDEN (European Destinations of Excellence) of the European Union, an award that recognizes the work of sustainable development projects in the Community.
To participate is necessary previous inscription. More information www.documentacooperacion.org
