Building the Water Agenda 2012 (Event)

On the 9th to the 10th of July an event will take place at Chatham House in London, UK titled Building the Water Agenda. The opening session will outline the challenges associated with water and its links to other global policy agendas: climate change, economic growth, agriculture, environment, human needs and foreign policy. It will also address the challenges of addressing water security at policy levels and the concrete and tangible pathways for policy and action that are needed.

Session One Water Stress: the new global shocks

Water security is compromised by increasingly frequent extreme climate events. Both water stress and shock can cause disruption and humanitarian disaster. Water shocks can also disrupt the world’s increasingly interconnected production, trade and economic systems. Policymakers need to address both – but how?

What should be the political, institutional and business responses to high impact, low probability water shocks?
How should governments and business balance the costs of resilience with the cost of response to and recovery from major water shocks?
Who should pay?
Are current and planned institutions and mechanisms for adaptation adequate to the challenge?

Session Two Reframing Transboundary Water Politics

What role does transboundary water play in relationships between states?
Where are the potential flashpoints for transboundary water conflicts?
What factors contribute to conflict or co-operation on transboundary water?
What policies and institutions can lead to agreements?

Session Three Sectoral Competition for Water

Rapid increase in resource consumption by a growing world population and an expanding middle class is creating sectoral competition for resources.

How can governments balance human, environmental, and economic demands for water? How can water rights best be established?
What data gaps are there on global water use?
With highly interconnected resources, increased resource consumption can lead to a vicious cycle of resource depletion. How should governments and business address this?
Projected global water use by energy source Where are the potential flashpoints between industrial and agricultural water use at national level?
How can this be addressed at local level?
What role can the private sector have in addressing inter-sectoral competition for water?

Session FourNew Tools for Water Management

Policy, pricing and investment To be effective, water policy must operate at the global, regional, national, local and catchment levels, with linkages between each tier and between sectors (climate, food, energy, industry, environment, social).

What tools can make national action on water effective?
What policy, governance and regulation is necessary for effective water management?
What incentives, standards, pricing and market signals would enhance supply and demand side efficiencies on water?
What financial innovations could manage water security risks?
The respective roles of public and private finance in funding water infrastructure What potential is there for water rich countries to use water to boost their economic development?

Session Five The New Global Water Agenda

What are the obstacles to building a global water agenda?
Which is the right forum to create a high level global agenda on water? (G20, UNFCCC, Rio+20, World Water Forum).
Which tools would support such an agenda?
Should water be regarded as a global asset?
If so, how can water be discussed, traded, or negotiated for?
To what extent can the concept of embedded water be a tool for water governance?
What institutions would need to be involved?
Is national water management a precondition for building a global water agenda?
Spillovers to water shock and stress are global, so global tools are needed. How can a global framework for water security be built?