Project Description
The Water and WASH Futures Conference 2023 is part of the Water and WASH Futures knowledge forums – a series of knowledge sharing and learning activities for practitioners and professionals in the international water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and water resource management (WRM) sectors. We also encourage and welcome participation by those working on water and WASH in connected sectors such as health, education, environment and climate change, agriculture and production, economic development, governance, GEDSI and finance.
The Water and WASH Futures Conference 2023 will bring together WASH and WRM professionals and actors from connected sectors, to discuss the challenges facing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 targets, in the context of a changing climate. Not only are our weather and climatic systems changing, but so too is our society, as demographics and populations change, urbanisation increases, technology advances and water-use behaviours change.
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
440 delegates attended the conference in Brisbane, Australia in February 2023. Delegates came from a range of countries (45 countries in total) and a range of background types (Civil Society 25%, Academia 25%, Government 17%, remainder being Business, Multilateral, Development Partner or Donor, and Consulting). The 2023 conference saw an increase on both delegate numbers and countries represented from the previous 2018 conference.
The conference is recognised by key development partners in the Asia-Pacific region as a key knowledge-sharing and networking forum. DFAT (the main partner and donor of this conference) is recognised as the lead champion of this community of water management and WASH policy-makers and practitioners, and it provides DFAT an excellent opportunity to promote key programs, agendas and issues with its partners in our region.
Outcomes to Date
The conference provided opportunities for over 180 conference presentation and training sessions from over 110 different organisation’s from 31 countries.
Australia’s championing and support for WASH and water management in the region and globally through DFAT is appreciated by the WASH sector. Around 30% of the presenters were Australian working for Australia-based organisations, or international organisations.
A core aim of the WaWF knowledge sharing events is to enable practitioners to connect with each other and to share experiences and lessons as well as engage in discussions around future solutions and new practices. When surveyed 4 months post-conference, over 90% indicated they had learnt new knowledge that was able to be shared with colleagues back home, and that they had made new connections which assisted in new work or project opportunities.
Project Significance
In 2015 world leaders committed to ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all – Sustainable Development Goal 6. The targets defined for the goal seek to improve equitable access to water supplies, sanitation and hygiene (SDG targets 6.1 and 6.2). But they also emphasise the use of integrated water management principles and approaches to connect WASH with water resources management (WRM), supporting targets SDG6.1 and 6.2, but also leading to improved environmental water quality, reduced water scarcity, and restored and protected water-related ecosystems (SDG targets 6.3-6.6).
Whilst SDG6 is laudably ambitious, its success is challenged by climate change. Water-related natural disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, with flood events damaging water and sanitation infrastructure, sea level rise contaminating freshwater resources, bush fires contaminating water sources, and droughts causing water scarcity for households and industry. On top of this, other changes to our environment and society, such as population and cultural changes, combine with climate change to create very complex challenges for water management and WASH.
Success in achieving and sustaining SDG6 will depend on the use of integrated, inclusive and transformative approaches to WASH and water resources management.
The Water and WASH Futures Conference 2023 built awareness of the imperative climate change brings to better linking WASH and WRM and will explore the common ground and practical linkages between the two sectors. Through this, it supported SDG6 by continuing to push whole-of-water-cycle policy and practice by bringing together both WASH (water supply, sanitation and and Water Management Professionals.
We call on practitioners and professionals to forge new approaches to working together, including in partnership with stakeholders and organisations from many other sectors, in pursuit of sustainable water and sanitation for all.