The objective of this panel coordinated by the Ministry of Water and Sanitation of Senegal, is allow participants to discuss the challenges and issues related to water security in Senegal and to formulate concrete recommendations for a better integration of the water security approach in policies, strategies and programmes.

This session will comprise a plenary session to discuss the Cairo Water Week 2021 conclusions on the issue with more insights regarding national and regional water challenges facing the water scarce countries, and to define key action areas and potential cooperation. It will also propose a guideline for the Cairo Water Week 2022 final conclusions that will contribute to support policy recommendations, and to enhance the implementation of water-related SDGs as an essential contribution to the 2023 UN Mid-term Review Conference.

This session, coordinated by the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC), is about strengthening science-policy-practice interface using the newly developed catalogue to facilitate this process. The objective of the session is to actively involve groundwater policy and decision makers in development and verification of the catalogue. The session will provide inputs for further developments of the catalogue, as an innovative, collaborative tool for a better provision of essential groundwater policy and management information.

Implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) - a process connecting environment preservation and improvement of social and economic conditions of communities at all levels - requests to relay on sciences based knowledge and information. Information plays a key role to involve local stakeholders in participative approach, and also at national level to make decision. Information and Communication technologies, remote sensing, water monitoring of watersheds, networking bringing scientific outcomes to stakeholders, toolbox, etc., all these are crucial to improve and strengthen IWRM at all levels. Various projects of implemented studies will be shared in two parts in the frame of this session, coordinated by UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and Danone Waters, one dedicated to stakeholders inclusion to IWRM at all levels, and the second one from international network on hydrology to technical information as well as from remote sensing to modeling and forecasting.

The objective of this session is to promote water resource management experiences and initiatives in rural areas, implemented in climatic contexts characterized by frequent water scarcity, possible root-cause of migratory phenomena, both internal (from rural to urban) and to neighboring countries. The experiences and initiatives presented during this session, financed and/or implemented by governmental organizations (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo sviluppo - AICS), United Nations (Food and Agriculture Organization - FAO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and non-governmental organizations (among others, Caritas and "Association France et Maroc au Coeur" - AFEMAC), allow to become acquainted with field activities and with the main stakeholders involved. Special focus will be given to the inclusion of youth, potential migrants and women into agriculture and rural development activities, with a particular attention paid to agricultural water management.

This session, coordinated by FAO, aims to showcase a number of technological innovations and social approaches to improve water productivity and efficiency in agriculture. A first keynote address will introduce the concepts and highlights existing techniques and approaches to monitor and improve water productivity, and will be followed by lightening talks from field experiences on how to better address water management in the context of the global food security. It will provide impactful examples to explore how to integrate technological and social water solutions into more resilient food systems.

This session, coordinated by FAO, intends to feature the effects of agroecology in irrigation schemes seeking to redesign food systems while preserving on the diversity of ecosystems. It will present specific responses to water scarcity in the context of marginal lands and climate change. Favoring sustainability of natural resources and governance, protection of smallholder farmers and food security, and line with the "One Water, One Health approach", agroecology optimizes mutually beneficial interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment. The session will seek to showcase possible implementation of agroecology in irrigated food systems and explore the productive performances of practical examples.

Women are the most affected by water stains and the lack of accessibility of irrigation solutions adapted to small farms. This session, coordinated by “Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale” (IPAR), will document the challenges facing rural producers and women arena in terms of access and control of irrigation water for the maintenance and sustainability of agricultural activities for market gardening. Peri-urban agriculture ensures that cities are supplied with fresh market garden products. However, despite its importance, it is endangered due to the lack of control over productive waters and the difficulty to access to the urban market and to the efficient irrigation technologies. Therefore, many market gardeners abandon their fields in favor of real estate developers and agribusinesses with large means. But it seems that both irrigation technologies and women involvement could improve the economic model of peri-urban agriculture. Through examples, the expected outcomes of this session will identify and share the constraints linked to the control of productive water by market gardeners in rural peri-urban areas thanks to the irrigation practices. Strong consensus on the need to take charge of the identified constraints will be reached by the actors of the sector. Ways to solve the problems will be identified and the levels of responsibilities of the women will be located.

There are large opportunities on the migration-water nexus in rural areas, for example through the development of green and decent employment projects, especially for the empowerment of women and youth, the inclusion of migrants and the sustainability of water resources, both in the territories of origin and destination. The session, coordinated by the the International Organization for Migration (IOM), will explore how adapted and coherent policies can help us realize these opportunities with the double objective of (a) maximizing the inclusion and contribution of youth, migrants and women into rural development and; (b) mitigating the water related root-causes of migration, elaboration of policy recommendations to better take the migration-water nexus into account in the context of rural development.

12:00-12:10

Introduction and overview, Mr. Atul Bagai, Session Moderator, Head of India Office, UNEP

12:10-12:45

Panel session

Panelists: 

• Mr. Pyush Dogra, Senior Environmental Specialist, World Bank Grou
• Mr. Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO
• Ms Vini Mahajan, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources of India
• Mr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation
• Mr. Avinash Mishra, Advisor Water, Niti Aayog, India

12:45-12-50

Questions & Answers

12:50-13.00

Concluding Remarks, Mr. Atul Bagai, Moderator

This panel, coordinated by the IWRM Task Force of the World Water Council, will present a new vision of water management to provide systemic vision and clear directions towards equity in the allocation of water across sectors and exploring the interlinkages between water, energy, food, health and education.

Diversification of rural economies away from agriculture, and the urbanization of rural regions, are the result of Rural Transformation. They are mediated by localized social structures, institutional frameworks, and local societies with different levels of human agency.

Rural Transformation alters the structure of landholdings, the technologies in use, the capabilities of rural women and men, and the distribution and dynamics of the population and labor force, potentially generating multiple benefits that go well beyond rural areas. Rural Transformation thus entails a sustainable and comprehensive level of change in rural areas that is social as well as economic and environmental. There are some successful reports on rural economy improvements in China and some other south- East Asian countries as a result of better understanding of poverty problems in the region and implementation of more comprehensive plans.

The Priority Rural Development will be holding 22 Ordinary Sessions during the 9th World Water Forum week. The Priority is also going to be discussed in a number of Special Sessions and High-Level Panels. Those sessions focus especially on directing the financial, technological, social and human efforts necessary to significantly reduce the inequality gap, particularly in access to water and sanitation services, while improving sustainable agricultural practices, governance, and climate adaptation and mitigation. These focal points are addressed relating them to the linkages of the 2030 Agenda/SDGs. The outcomes of the Priority Ordinary Thematic Sessions will be discussed during the Keystone Roundtable which will come up with a list of commitments and recommendations for concrete actions to be implemented in the short and long term, as well as potential actors to be involved, and this way contribute to the thematic outcomes.

8:00-8:05 (GMT)

Opening Remarks, Sasha Koo-Oshima, Deputy Director, Land and Water Division, FAO

8:05-8:15

Keynote lecture, Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Chair of the Global Leaders Group (GLG) Environment Group

8:15-8-45

Panelist point of views from various sectors - 

on water pollution prevention and control: 

1. Antibiotic pollution as a driver for resistance
Joakim Larsson
Professor in Environmental Pharmacology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

2. WASH and wastewater in health services
Kate Medlicott
Team Lead, Sanitation, Water Sanitation and Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

3. Agriculture perspective

Marion Savill
Executive Director, Affordable Water Limited and Water, Chair, the NZ Chapter of International Water Association (IWA) and Co-Chair, IWA ASPIRE, New Zealand

4. Animal Livestock
Nigel French, 

Distinguished Professor of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Massey University, New Zealand, Chief Scientist for the New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre, Co-Director of One Health Aotearoa and Executive Director of the Infectious Disease Research Centre.  

5. Environment
David Graham
Professor of Ecosystems Engineering, School of Engineering, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Moderator for Panel Session: Sasha Koo-Oshima, FAO

8:45-8:50

Q&A in chat box
Moderator: Omar El-Hassan
Consultant, Land and Water Division, FAO

8:50-9:00

Conclusion - wrap up
Robert Bos
Senior Consultant, Land and Water Division, FAO

There is growing evidence that water scarcity, changes in precipitation patterns and extreme weather events combined with socioeconomic vulnerabilities are driving migration and displacement. In 2016, climate and water-related disasters were responsible for displacing 23.5 million people. Closing the knowledge gaps by gathering statistics, data and information on migration and its drivers, is key to support evidence-based policies, programmes and investments to tackle migration. There is no clear, simple solution but while the cost of responses to migration is concerning for States, the cost of no decisions will certainly surpass it. This session, coordinated by FAO and the United Nations University (UNU), will provide latest data and evidence on the linkages between water and migration, and identify the knowledge gaps so they can be included in future research programs and projects.

Ecosystem-based approaches to land, water coastal and marine resources management require information from many disciplines and actors, beyond conventional measures that address specific segments of the source-to-sea system and neglect linkages. Collecting (or modeling), analyzing, and communicating this information is vital for both monitoring (e.g., SDGs) and decision making, but the resources for data acquisition and knowledge management are insufficient, and data providers and decision makers are not working closely as they could.  This session, coordinated by Conservation International, will focus on bridging these “gaps” by promoting: 1) modern methods and tools that provide or synthesize relevant data for ecosystem-based management and 2) networks to share experience and skill transfer to build capacity in decision-support. It will feature innovative approaches, such as using remote sensing as a complement to in-situ monitoring, and will also highlight examples from around the world where data is being transformed into knowledge to help decision and policy makers better incorporate ecosystem protection into water resource management.

The world's environment requires integrated water management, but at the same time, it faces various factors that are difficult to forecast, such as global warming and resources quality change. These disasters on water management are becoming more intensive and widespread day by day. To solve the efficient and sustainable water management of agricultural water, it is necessary to continuously develop and apply the engineering technology of the 4th industrial revolution to prepare a forecast and response system for an uncertain future. Mutual efforts from governments, academia, and related experts are required so that effective integrated water management can take place, rather than simple improvement of the system such as automation. It can respond to integrated water management and environmental changes while systematically managing the agricultural infrastructure.

As we face an era and environment that requires integrated water management, our goal is to apply various technologies including information and communication technology (ICT), big data, and smart mobile applications in the field of water management for sustainable management of agricultural water. We believe that water management can be more efficient and scientific through increasing the efficiency and accuracy of water management based on ICT technology and sharing water management information by establishing a system that can forecast, monitor and control the supply of agricultural water.

In sub-Sahara Africa, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia regions, farming systems are largely dependent on small-scale farmers who rely on rainfed agriculture, already straddled with the negative impacts of the changing climate. Actions on effective adaptation and mitigation pathways in line with predicted uncertainties and erratic patterns of rainfall intensity, duration, and variability are crucial. Farmers, government agencies, basin authorities, investors and civil society organizations need to adapt to this new reality through the adoption of innovative climate-smart water solutions and inclusive integrated planning approaches to build resilience to climate change. This session is coordinated by FAO and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Ghana.

The session, coordinated by the Ministry for Ecological Transition of Spain,  aims to present the main instruments to achieve water security, in terms of integrated water resources management, development and operation of infrastructure compatible with the environment, financial mechanisms and incentives for sustainable water management, which will accelerate the path towards achieving SDG 6. During the session, an exhibition of the world panorama will be presented, followed by cases of concrete practices that can serve as inspiration for other territories.

Access to information on the state and evolution of water resources and their uses is an imperative need and a major challenge for establishing an inclusive governance framework that takes into account the different links in integrated water management in a structured manner. 

In view of the crucial importance of data, good governance of water resources therefore requires capacity building for accessing and processing water data in collaboration with local stakeholders, in order to generate information and services that meet the requirements of inclusive planning. This session is coordinated by the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa).