Arab Water Week // Workshop "SDGs within the Water Sector" by UN-Habitat, UNU-Flores, ACWUA

The workshop is part of the Arab Water Week.
More info on the conference here.

Where and when

22-23 March 2017 Kempinski Amman Hotel
Jordan

Background

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 6.3 explicitly encourages the use of wastewater. For the effective monitoring of such global goals, political buy-in by member states is crucial Moreover, data gathering for monitoring purposes must incorporate both biophysical, as well as institutional and socioeconomic dimensions of wastewater use. The SDGs emphasise the need for robust data and bottom-up approaches to monitoring that recognizes interconnections between a range of sectors and environmental resources. This is aligned with the Nexus Approach, which encourages the reuse of environmental resources, considering the interconnections between water, soil, and waste. Applying a Nexus Approach, the UNU-FLORES Nexus Observatory initiative responds to the needs of the UN and its Member States by encouraging political buy-in while also building capacity for data gathering that is holistic and responds to needs of decision makers at global, regional, and national levels. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed between UN-Habitat and UNU-FLORES aims to develop, test, and validate a monitoring methodology for SDG target 6.3. In May 2016 a regional consultation in Asia, supported by the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam Ministry of Construction also resolved to develop such a methodology. UNU-FLORES and UN-Habitat have since worked closely to develop a prototype monitoring methodology that benefitted from consultations with the Ministry of Environment and Bogor Agriculture University in Indonesia– the Wastewater Reuse Effectiveness Index (WREI). Preliminary discussions between UNU-FLORES and the State Secretariat of Sanitation and Water Resources of Sao Paulo, Brazil indicate support for pilot testing this methodology for monitoring SDG target 6.3. In attendance at the Workshop are members of the Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA), in addition to representatives from Brazil and Indonesia who are participating as observer countries. Participants from UN Member States and utility companies participating in the workshop in Amman will receive guidance on indicators and approaches to monitoring that include institutional and socioeconomic aspects of wastewater planning and management. Regional and international cooperation focussed on building capacity for monitoring of SDG target 6.3 will be outlined in the form of a workshop communique.

Workshop Objectives

• Present and seek feedback on monitoring SDG target 6.3, including issues and opportunities arising from development of a prototype monitoring methodology - Wastewater Reuse Effectiveness Index (WREI)
• Discuss legal, policy, and planning issues arising from the pilot testing of a draft monitoring methodology for SDG target 6.3 – WREI.
• Validate the use of integrated approaches and strategies for data gathering to support wastewater “treatment” as a whole, including reuse, for the purpose of monitoring SDG target 6.3 at global/national/regional levels

Organised by

• UN-Habitat
• UNU-Flores
• ACWUA

More info on the workshop here