Participating in the Water Expo in Zaragoza

SWITCH research activities, technologies and innovations will be analysed and reviewed in four different session between the 25 and 28 of June, days allocated to the thematic topic “Water and Cities”.

The Water Expo/Water Tribune in Zaragoza focuses, among others, on the theme of "Water and Cities" due to its growing importance in development. Cities are not only economic engines, but more and more are perceived as places for people’s interaction and participation and as cultural centres offering vibrant lifestyles.

Urbanization is increasing and the pressures attached to it are also increasing. Providing leadership to such dynamics for sustainable growth and peace in cities is becoming an art at all levels and required from all players. Good experiences with approaches, mechanisms and tools for governance are also emerging.

Three different SWITCH cities, Accra, Belo Horizonte and Zaragoza will present in three different sessions their experiences and challenges. SWITCH scientific developments and stakeholders platforms’ implementation and functioning will be also presented. In addition, a videoconference involving 8 cities (6 of them SWITCH cities) will discuss the “dilemmas of decision-makers: mechanisms and approaches for solutions”.

How strategic planning and management affects development in the cities? How can relevant engaging of stakeholders be pursued? ‘Listening to the city’ is of crucial importance for successful governance to accelerate decision-making that enables immediate action implementation, while aligning with longer term and strategic goals and aspirations.

Some cities have proven to be successful in dealing with managing scarce resources for all citizens and interests groups, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector. Others are learning from successful and failing experiences. New technologies, innovative financing and decentralized governance mechanisms can be used for sustainable water management in cities.

June 25

11.30-13.30

Presentation 2: The Accra experience (SWITCH city)

Minta Aboagye. Head of the Water Directorate from the Ministry for Water. Accra

– Ghana

Presentation 3: The Belo Horizonte experience (SWITCH city)

Nilo de Oliveira Nascimento. Department of Hydraulic Engineering and Water

Resources. UFMG. Belo Horizonte - Brazi

June 26

9:00 - 9:10

Presentation of the day

Javier Celma. Director of the Environment and Sustainability Agency of Zaragoza

City Council (SWITCH partner)

June 27

9:10 -11:00

Session 7: The cities and new technologies

Presentation 1: The cities and new technologies

Kala Vairavamoorthy. Chair of Water Engineering University of Birmingham. United

Kingdom; UNESCO-IHE, Delft

11:30 - 13:30 Session 8: The role of city networks

Presentation 1: The ICLEI experience in coordinating sustainable city networks.

Barbara Antón. ICLEI- European Secretariat Germany (SWITCH partner)

Presentation 2: City networks.

John Butterworth. International Water and Sanitation Centre. IRC Holland (SWITCH partner)