International Symposium on the use of nonconventional waters for achieving food security
The International Symposium on the use of nonconventional waters for achieving food security took place on 14-15 November 2019 at Casa de América in Madrid, Spain. FAO and the Government of Spain, in collaboration with WASAG, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Casa de América organized this International Symposium.
During the Symposium, nonconventional water resources and technologies such as wastewater treatment, cloud seeding, desalination, fog harvesting and rainwater harvesting were presented and discussed.
The event brought together international leaders, financiers, and policy-makers in government and water resources management, emerging research scientists and the private sector working on water treatment, desalination, and energy efficiency.
Objectives of the Symposium:
• Analyze the challenges, constraints and opportunities of nonconventional water use in agriculture;
• Showcase new and proven technologies for nonconventional water use;
• Explore the benefits and risks towards identifying the barriers and opportunities to applying existing practices and technologies in the agricultural sector.
Expected Outcomes:
• Understanding of the current constraints and challenges impacting the wide adoption of nonconventional water use approaches and a way forward to remove barriers;
• Overview of the range of nonconventional water use approaches and case studies focused on agriculture applications;
• Better understanding on the importance of tailored policies, regulations and financial instruments to accelerate the adoption of nonconventional water use approaches;
• Improved knowledge of the circular economy and its benefits to accelerate the adoption and dissemination of nonconventional water use options in agriculture.