Monday, 20 May 2024

14.50-16.20 (UTC+8)

Special Session “National Water Roadmaps towards the 2030 Agenda” - SS1

This Special Session will focus on ‘National Water Roadmaps’, an FAO initiative which aims to support countries in integrating and mainstreaming water into national policies and strategies, to enhance policy coherence for the 2030 Agenda. This Special Session will support: connecting the water and agriculture sectors to strengthen cross-sectoral cooperation; discussing how regional cooperation on the ‘National Water Roadmaps’ initiative can boost implementation of water and agriculture-related SDGs through water; highlighting various opportunities for integrated water resources management to enhance food systems transformation; and recommending options and actions to enhance policy dialogue and the enabling environment to achieve improved integrated water resources management for sustainable development. This Special Session is jointly convened by FAO, Aquafed, and the Mediterranean Water Institute.

Tuesday 21 May 2024

10.20-11.50 (UTC+8)

The session will explore how drought-related technologies, financing, and collaboration can be integrated into a holistic cycle for implementing drought resilience measures. It will present the perspectives of the private sector, academia, financiers and public institutions to understand how drought-related technologies can be identified and made marketable, and what financial channels can be used for such technologies. The session will then showcase how partnerships, from broader collaboration to direct stakeholder engagement, can enhance technology transfer and resource mobilization at all levels. The session is co-convened by FAO and the International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM), Japan. 

The complexities surrounding water resources management require robust and integrated information systems to effectively inform decision-making processes. Raw data sets should be processed and transformed into information in a format that can be understood and used by decision-makers and that meets the expectations of end users. This session, coordinated by FAO, aims to highlight the importance of turning data into useful information for the development of water policies and programmes. The session will illustrate several case studies where water information systems have been effectively used to develop water investments, policies and research.

Wednesday, 22 May 2024

8.30-10.00 (UTC+8)

The water sector faces many cascading challenges that call for the evolution of legal and governance frameworks at different yet integrated scales. This session will: address key water governance challenges: climate resilient water allocation, realization of the human right to water and sanitation, safeguarding water quality for human and ecosystem health, as well as governance of water tenure; present innovative legal, institutional and policy pathways from around the world to address the challenges at local, regional and global levels; and discuss elements for a responsible governance of water resources.  Country and regional cases from Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, as well as global initiatives will be presented. The results will feed into the Global Dialogue on Water Tenure facilitated by FAO and partners.  The session is convened by FAO, the International Association for Water Law, the South Africa Water Research Commission and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education.

10.20-11.50 (UTC+8) 

High-Level Panel “Worldwide Observatory for Non-Conventional Water Resources & Renewable Energy” - HLP 10 

This High-Level Panel aims to facilitate a dialogue among Ministers of State to advance collaboration on non-conventional water resources and associated renewable energies. This session is an important step in catalyzing the establishment of a global platform for exchange on knowledge and experience sharing. Ministries and country representatives from the Mediterranean and other regions will engage in a dialogue on the opportunity to advance and strengthen collaboration on non-conventional water resources and associated renewable energies. The discussion will include an explanation of a platform known as an “Observatory”, a knowledge and exchange platform developed by the Mediterranean Water Institute on behalf of the World Water Council. The High-Level Panel will agree on concrete steps to expand the Worldwide Observatory through cooperation between State and Non-State actors and guide organizers on way forward in implementing the “Observatory”. This event is co-convened by FAO, Aquafed, and the Mediterranean Water Institute.

This session, coordinated by FAO, will highlight experiences of circular economy initiatives and their implementation in the framework of water resources management for food security and resilient cities, in the face of water scarcity and climate change. Policy, financial and technological innovations that support circular paradigms to water management will be shared. In addition, examples of strategies for non-conventional water reuse for irrigated agriculture and for resilient cities will be presented.

16.40-18.10 (UTC+8) 

Sub-regional Synthesis Session on Water Scarcity - RP 

This session is jointly convened by FAO, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, the Global Water Partnership Southeast Asia, the Korea-Mekong Water Center, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing of Indonesia and the Ministry of National Development Planning of Indonesia. 

Thursday, 23 May 2024

13.00-14.30 (UTC+8)

The session will discuss the technical and economic feasibility of revitalization and modernization of existing irrigation schemes that are prevalent in many countries around the world. It will provide a stocktaking of approaches for the revitalization and modernization of irrigation schemes, including the demonstration of tangible impacts on water efficiency and climate resilience, while ensuring access to water and food security. It will demonstrate the added value of established approaches to harness multiple benefits of irrigation system revitalization through case studies from around the globe. The case studies will cover several thematic areas, including consumptive use of water, water measurement and accounting, impacts on downstream users, salinity and drainage, alternative irrigation methods for rice production and other crops to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions, and alternative and renewable energy sources for irrigation. The session is jointly convened by FAO and the Secours Islamique France.

FAO will also participate in the High-Level Political Session “Water Information Systems” and in a series of thematic sessions and side events: 

• Road Map for Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment: From ecological status assessment to planetary blue health under Climate Change - T2A1, Tuesday, 21 May 2024, 8.30-10.00 (UTC+8)
• Water Information Systems - HLP20, Tuesday, 21 May 2024, 10.20 - 11.50 (UTC+8)
• Best practices and drought management planning including drought impact mitigation - T3B1, Tuesday, 21 May 2024, 13.00-14.30 (UTC+8)
• What goes around comes around: Applying a circular lens to water policies - T4C2, Thursday, 23 May 2024, 10.20-11.50 (UTC+8)
• Synthesis Session: Upscaling of water information systems - 6D, Friday, 24 May 2024, 8.30-10.00 (UTC+8)
• Synthesis Session: Integrated Water Resources Management and cross cutting, cross sectoral approaches 2E, Friday 24 May, 10.20-11.50 (UTC+8)
• Synthesis Session: Enhanced cross-sectoral dialogue and cooperation -4C, Friday 24 May, 13.00-14.30 (UTC+8)
• Cross-cutting session: Water-related disaster risk reduction under climate change towards transforming to a resilient, sustainable, and inclusive society - CC11, Friday 24 May, 13.00-14.30 (UTC+8)
• Side Event: Improving water management decisions in Africa through Earth Observation data - S33, Friday 24 May, 16.40-18.00 (UTC+8)