Conference Sponsors
Your paper/presentation will be peer-reviewed by member of the WITS Advisory Committee. Accepted paper/presentations will be published in the conference proceedings. Selected papers will be published in the Special Issues of the International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development.
The 2009 Water, Innovation, Technology, and Sustainability - WITS Conference will address the role of technology and innovation on the five dimensions of the water diamond: water safety, water security, water availability, water quality and water sustainability.
The timing and importance of the 2009 WITS Conference cannot be emphasized enough, given that water stress is one of today's most pressing global issues. The location of the conference is also extremely relevant, since the Brazilian Amazon region is one of the world's richest water resource regions and is facing a number of sustainability challenges.
In the past fifty years the global population has doubled, however, demand for water has expanded three times. Water is a resource that is essential for economic development and survival in the developed, emerging and developing economies. As stated by Fortune magazine (May 15, 2005) "Water promises to be to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th century: the precious commodity that determines the wealth of nations". Water is the most common commodity on earth, however, 97% of it is seawater, 2% is found in glaciers, ice, and snow and only 1% is actually available. Thus, water resources are rapidly becoming a determinant of a country's competitive advantages in a globalized economy.
In the near future, more than ever, technology and innovation will play a major role in reducing water stress around the globe and in increasing the productivity and efficiency of water use. Today, the "water footprint" is a major concern for a number of companies, cities and nations . Although different nations, depending on their level of economic & social development, face different levels of water stress, it is clear that innovation and technology play a major role in addressing their water issues.
Currently and in the future, water management will play a vital role in countries' economies and their multiple uses of water, from manufacturing, health care, agriculture, mining, and energy production, to urban center development. New technologies may lead to increases in the productivity of water usage, reuse of industrial and wastewater, water-conservation, and desalinization, as well as other technological and innovative impacts. These innovative and technical solutions for water will involve many different approaches that will have to be developed to fit the needs of different economic and business environments.
The 2009 WITS conference will address the role of technology & innovation and how they affect the five dimensions of the water diamond: safety, quality, security, availability, and sustainability.
