Mon, Feb 27: Emerging Scarcity in a Land of Plenty: Water and Water Policy in Canada

The Canada Institute and the Environmental Change and Security Program of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars present

Emerging Scarcity in a Land of Plenty: Water and Water Policy in Canada

with

Lars Hallstrom

Associate Professor of Political Studies, University of Alberta

Director, Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities

 

and discussant: 

Betsy Otto

Aqueduct Director, World Resources Institute

Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, American Rivers

Monday, February 27, 2012

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

5th floor conference room

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

Washington, DC 20004 USA

RSVP to Canada@wilsoncenter.org or (202) 691-4301

Canada is a state blessed with the world’s largest supplies of fresh water. While other natural resources (oil, grain, timber) figure largely in Canada’s economic and international profile, water is rapidly becoming recognized as a core of these other resource-based industries, and a resource that is increasingly challenged both in terms of supply and quality.

This is particularly true in the western province of Alberta, a province where the combination of climate, geography, hydrology, regulatory politics, economic development, and corresponding population growth make the concept of “peak water” more than just a rhetorical tool. Alberta is already a land with a history of significant drought and variation of supply with important challenges ahead. Dr. Hallstrom will discuss how the factors noted above are increasingly converging upon water as a critical challenge in the province, and the importance of water as a core element of sustainable development. 

Please allow extra time to enter the building. A photo ID is required for entry. Directions at www.WilsonCenter.org/directions.

Masters and PhD students are invited to participate in the 6th World Water Forum

The 6th World Water Forum is looking to invite advanced Master’s and PhD students from around the world to present their solutions-based work and participate as fully engaged members of the Forum. Selected applicants will have the opportunity to work with high level experts from academia, the public sector, and private industry. They will take part in networking events with other young professionals and water experts from around the world. So don’t wait to  fill in the form to apply! 

Deadline: 15th January

http://wateryouthmovement.org/

http://www.jotform.com/wateryouthmovement/applicationforthe6thworldwaterforum

Wetlands Photo Contest

World Wetlands Day Photo Celebration: Wetlands Tourism
Jan. 3-20, 2012

Showcase the beauty of wetlands along with your talent! Submit your best photos to a World Wetlands Day photo celebration under this year’s theme “Wetlands Tourism: A Great Experience,” sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership with the Ramsar Convention Secretariat. From January 3-20, 2012, upload your best photo(s) to our Flickr site in one of four wetlands and tourism-related categories: wildlife, landscapes, plants, and tourists (one per category per participant). ALL are invited to mark your favorite photo in each category through January 22. 


The top photos in each category will be showcased on U.S. Department of State, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat and its International Organization Partners’ websites and social media platforms around the world on World Wetlands Day, February 2, 2012. Visit Facebook at www.facebook.com/StateDepartment.OES and www.flickr.com/groups/WWD2012PhotoCelebration for instructions and more information.

Rotary International and UNESCO-IHE team up to offer Masters scholarships

The global humanitarian organization Rotary and the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education are teaming up to tackle the world's water and sanitation crisis by increasing the ranks of trained professionals critically needed to devise, plan, and implement solutions in developing countries that bear the brunt of the problem.

Through this new strategic partnership, The Rotary Foundation will provide grants to Rotary clubs and districts to select and sponsor eight students each year for scholarships to any of three Master of Science degree programs at UNESCO-IHE, a United Nations institute in Delft, The Netherlands, that is the world's largest postgraduate water education facility. The school's scholarship-eligible programs are Municipal Water and Infrastructure; Water Management; and Water Science and Engineering.

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, under its new Future Vision plan, seeks to forge strategic partnerships with established organizations with expertise in Rotary's six areas of focus, one of which is water and sanitation. The other focus areas are peace and conflict prevention/resolution; disease prevention and treatment; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; and economic and community development. UNESCO-IHE scholarship grants are available only to clubs in the 100 Rotary districts piloting Future Vision until the plan is fully implemented July 1, 2013.

UNESCO-IHE is owned by the member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Its mandate is to help meet the water-related capacity-building needs of developing countries and countries in transition.

Go to the website for more information: www.rotary.org or www.unesco-ihe.org.

FAO Report: State of the World's Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation recently published its first State of the World's Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture report, which can be found here.

Managing systems at risk 

By 2050, food production is projected to increase by about 70 percent globally and nearly 100 percent in developing countries. This incremental demand for food, together with demand from other competing uses, will place unprecedented pressure on many agricultural production systems across the world. These 'systems at risk' are facing growing competition for land and water resources and they are often constrained by unsustainable agricultural practices. They therefore require particular attention and specific remedial action. 

 

The State of the World's Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW) analyses a variety of options for overcoming constraints and improving resource management in these areas of heightened risk. In each location, a mix of changes in institutional and policy measures will have to be combined with greater access to technologies for better management of land and water resources. Increased investments; access to novel financing mechanisms; and international cooperation and development assistance will also help overcome these constraints.

 

This first issue of SOLAW, which complements other "State of the world" reports published regularly by FAO, is intended to inform public debate and policy-making at national and international levels.

Climate Change, Water, and Conflict in the Niger River Basin - Nov. 17 at the Wilson Center

Please join the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Africa Program and Environmental Change and Security Program for a report launch on

Climate Change, Water, and Conflict in the Niger River Basin

featuring

Lulsegged Abebe, West Africa Programme Manager, International Alert

Roger Few, Senior Research Fellow, School of International Development, University of East Anglia and Member of the Tyndell Centre for Climate Change Research

Marisa Goulden, Lecturer in Climate Change, Tyndell Centre for Climate Change Research and the School of International Development, University of East Anglia

Phil Vernon, Director of Programmes, Africa and Peacebuilding Issues, International Alert

 

Thursday, November 17, 2011

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

5th Floor Conference Room

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004 USA

Webcast live at www.wilsoncenter.org

 Please RSVP to ecsp@wilsoncenter.org with your name and affiliation.

International Alert, the London-based conflict resolution NGO, has partnered with researchers at the University of East Anglia to examine links between environmental stress, climate change, human (in)security, conflict, and adaptation  along the Niger River. Please join us for a discussion of how the consequences of climate change and climate variability are interacting with societal, economic, political, and other contextual factors to increase human insecurity and the risk of conflict, and identify ways in which adaptation can reduce this risk.  This report launch is part of the Wilson Center’s Resources for Peace Project, a collaboration between the Environmental Change and Security Program and USAID’s Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation.

Location: Woodrow Wilson Center at the Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW ("Federal Triangle" stop on Blue/Orange Line), 5th Floor Conference Room. A map to the Center is available at www.wilsoncenter.org/directions. Note: picture ID is required to pass through security.

"Synthetic Sea, Synthetic Me" - Tuesday, October 11 at AU

American University's Center for Environmental Filmmaking and Anna Cummins: Synthetic Sea, Synthetic Me

Tuesday, October 11, 2011 - 7:00pm

American University, Mary Graydon Center, Wechsler Theater

4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20016

 

Our oceans are becoming trashed – with plastic waste. Anna Cummins and her husband Dr. Marcus Eriksen have spent the last five years deeply immersed in the topic, sailing across 25,000 miles of ocean, building an oceangoing raft from 15,000 plastic bottles, and co-founding The 5 Gyres Institute to research plastic at sea. Join Anna to learn about their findings, and to hear her suggestions for how to solve this growing environmental threat. For additional information, please contact Chris Palmer at 202-885-3408 and palmer@american.edu.

2011 Water Research Symposium at Virginia Tech - November 15th

Help Spread the Word about the “2011 Water Research Symposium.”

Coal and Water in Central Appalachia: The Challenge to Balance

November 15, 2011

The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center

Blacksburg, Virginia

http://www.wvwaterconference.org

Please forward this announcement to your friends and colleagues with an interest in policies and scientific information associated with water resources and coal mining in the central Appalachians.

Please post the attached flyer about the symposium on your office or department bulletin board.

About the Symposium

Invited speakers will provide perspectives on water-protection policies that affect mining operations. Technical presentations will address the influences of coal mining practices on total dissolved solids, selenium, aquatic biota, and hydrology of rivers and streams in the region. Symposium participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and contribute to group discussions.

Registration

Registration allows for participation in all symposium activities, including refreshment breaks and lunch. Standard registration is $110.00.  Currently enrolled students are eligible to participate in the symposium at the student registration rate of $80.00. To register, go to http://www.wvwaterconference.org.

Professional Development Opportunity
A certificate of attendance will be awarded for 5 contact hours to registered attendees who participate in the full symposium.

Lodging – Special Rates in Effect until October 14, 2011

Rooms have been reserved at the Holiday Inn, across from The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, at the special rate of $95 plus tax per room for the evening of November 14, 2011. To make your room reservation, call (540) 552-7001 and request the "Water Research Symposium" rate. The special rate only applies while rooms are available in our block and only until October 14, 2011.

For more information

To learn more about the symposium, see http://www.wvwaterconference.org.  If you have questions, please contact Ms. Jane Walker at (540) 231-4159 or janewalk@vt.edu.

Hosted By

Virginia Water Resources Research Center

West Virginia Water Research Institute

Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

Amazon Watch Forum: Friday, September 23, at AU

AMAZON IN PERIL: INDIGENOUS STRUGGLES AGAINST HYDROELECTRIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE SHEYLA JURUNA HEART OF THE AMAZON 

Friday September 23rd 5:00 to 6:30PM 
Ward Building, Room 1 

SHEYLA JURUNA

The Brazilian Government is moving ahead “at any cost” with plans to build the third-largest dam in the world and one of the Amazon’s most controversial development projects- the Belo Monte dam on the Xingu River in the state of Para.

Mega-projects like these confront indigenous communities with massive displacement, disease, loss of food and clean water sources, cultural disintergration and serious human rights abuses. Sheyla Juruna has been active in the struggle to defend the Xingu River since the landmark victory in 1989 that stopped the Kararao Dam Complex. She has since become an important leader in the indigenous rights movement, working to insure “health, culturally appropriate education, land demarcation, and respect for indigenous rights” for her people.

Food Security & Agriculture Workgroup Event - Tuesday, September 20th

Tue Sep 20, 2011 12:00 PM

Water Resources and Food Security: Meeting the Demands for a Limited Resource


When: Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Where: Pact, 1828 L Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, D.C.


The SID-Washington Food Security & Agriculture Workgroup (FSAW) is pleased to present, “Water Resources and Food Security: Meeting the Demands for a Limited Resource." In many countries, agriculture is the economic sector accounting for the greatest share of water demand. Competing needs for scarce water resources call for agricultural development strategies that increase affordable and reliable water supplies, while providing incentives to improve efficiencies in water use for agriculture and food production.


During this brown bag lunch session, our panel of experts will provide a broad water resources overview focusing on African river basins and aquifers; the evolution of small-scale irrigation in India; the importance of water to helping smallholder producers increase their competitiveness and productivity and making better use of rainfall through improved soil and water conservation practices; and practical, field-tested approaches that help diversify production, reduce risk, and increase food security and incomes.


Speakers:
Robert Winterbottom, Director of Ecosystem Services, World Resources Institute (WRI)
Jay Kaufman, Senior Vice President, Fintrac, Inc.
Vincent Uhl, Consulting Hydrogeologist, UHL & Associates, Inc.


Moderator:
John Butler, Senior Associate, Water Resources Sector, Tetra Tech


Workgroup Co-Chairs:
Jeffrey Gray, Senior Associate, Agriculture and Economic Growth Sector, Tetra Tech ARD
Gabriel Laizer, Co-Chair, Strategic Partnership and Outreach Coordinator, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations


*Please bring your lunch to enjoy during the presentation.
For more information about FSAW, please visit the Ning site.

Location: Pact, 1828 L Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, D.C.

For more information:

Contact: Jordana Fraider
Phone:  (202) 884-8590
Email:   events@sidw.org

Register for this event: RSVP for the Food Security & Agriculture Workgroup Event, September 20, 2011

International Coastal Cleanup Day & Urban Waters Cleanup

September 25 - International Coastal Cleanup Day & Urban Waters Cleanup.

Sign up to clean up! The International Coastal Cleanup is a reminder of the importance and value of our coasts and engages people to get out and pick up trash and debris from their beaches and waterways, identify the sources of debris, and help change the behaviors and prevent marine debris.

Find a location in your city & state.
http://www.signuptocleanup.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Projects.Main

URBAN WATERS - If you are in the Washington, DC or New York City areas, EPA and Ocean Conservancy will be co-hosting two special Urban Waters Cleanups on September 25, 2010, to highlight EPA's Urban Waters efforts in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup. These events will include cleanup activities, exciting speakers, and demonstrations on how you can help your local neighborhood and waterways become clean and litter free!

FOR DC - at Anacostia Park from 8 am - 1 pm. To sign up for the Washington, DC event visit the Anacostia Park Registration Site: http://bit.ly/dxh3F5

China/Water/Energy events on 9/15 & 9/22

The Evolution of Sulfur Dioxide Pollution Control in China's Power Sector
Date: Wednesday, September 15th, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Speakers: Xuehua Zhang, Independent Energy and Environment Consultant; Jeremy Schreifels, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Location: 5th Floor Conference Room
RSVP with your name and affiliation: cef@wilsoncenter.org

2010 is the final year of what was one of China’s “greenest” five-year plan (FYP) periods. The 11th FYP contained considerably stricter standards for SO2 and other pollutants and aggressive energy intensity standards have been touted as key in shifting the country to a more low carbon development path. However, skies over Chinese cities are still smoggy, which raises valid questions as to the effectiveness of China’s air pollution control efforts. It is often too easy for outside assessments to blame the apparent poor air quality to lack of political commitment, limited action by Chinese local governments, low quality pollution control equipment, and untrustworthy data. At this September 15th CEF meetings our speaker— Jeremy Schreifels (U.S. EPA) and Xuehua Zhang (Independent Energy and Environment Consultant)-will dig into some of the complexities of pollution control efforts in China to help us understand some major progress in SO2 emission measurement and control in the power sector with thoughts on what led to this progress.

ChokePoint: US: Understanding the Tightening Conflict between Energy and Water in the Era of Climate Change
Date: Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Speakers: J. Carl Ganter, Circle of Blue, Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue, Jeffrey Fulgham, GE

Location: 5th Floor Conference Room
RSVP with your name and affiliation: cef@wilsoncenter.org

On September 22nd, 2010, J. Carl Ganter, the director of Circle of Blue <http://www.circleofblue.com/> , Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue’s senior editor, and Jeffrey J. Fulgham, chief sustainability officer and ecomagination leader at General Electric will discuss the findings of Choke Point: U.S., an exploration into the fierce contest between the nation’s growing demand for energy, and the tightening supplies of fresh water. The presentation will also look into the development of a similar project, Choke Point: China.

In undertaking Choke Point: U.S., Circle of Blue set out to understand whether the transition to a low-carbon economy would produce a penalty or a dividend for freshwater consumption in the United States. Multi-media reporters were dispatched to the coalfields of southwest Virginia, the dry plains of South Dakota, the tar sands region of Alberta, Canada, the oilfields and solar generating deserts of southern California, and the biofuel production plants in the Midwest.

The facts and insights gathered by Circle of Blue also point to a new national narrative of resource urgency. Choke Point: U.S. makes a strong case that the United States quickly needs to reconsider and realign much of its energy production policy and water management practices in order to avoid dire shortages of water and potential shortfalls in energy. None of the big energy producers or large water use sectors will be left untouched.

CEF programming, publications, and other activities are currently funded by The Blue Moon Fund, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, USAID, Vermont Law School, Western Kentucky University, Japan Foundation's Center for Global Partnership, U.S. Department of State, World Resources Institute, and the ENVIRON Foundation.