The 2nd Water JPI Conference

The 2^nd Water JPI Conference will be held in Helsinki on 6th –7th June 2018. The aim of the international conference is to attract some 200 experts in emerging pollutants to meet and discuss common challenges and share their recent discoveries and knowledge. The conference is targeted at both researchers and end-users, especially policy-makers. Come and contribute towards reaching our common goal of developing safe water systems for citizens! Millions of Europeans receive high-quality drinking water every day. However, the provision of safe water for drinking purposes is threatened by, for instance, the improper disposal of chemicals, animal and human waste, pesticides, emerging pollutants and emerging risks from “established” pollutants, aged water supply infrastructures, sub-optimal water management, and natural hazards. “Emerging pollutants in freshwater ecosystems” is a very topical theme. The two-day conference will include keynotes and presentations about, for instance, what kinds of pollutants threaten our drinking water and how chemicals and pesticides end up in the water cycle. The programme also includes topics such as the effects of pollutants on ecosystem function and human health as well as innovative methods for monitoring and remediation. A subject of special interest will be the announcement of brand new Policy Brief on Emerging Contaminants, prepared by the projects of the very first Water JPI -funded research call. This Policy Brief will be the first in the series of forthcoming Water JPI Policy Briefs. Within the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the place of water-related issues is strong. Water is at stake not only in Goal 6 to “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”, but in almost all of the 17 SDGs. Achieving set objectives by 2020 and 2030 will require innovative solutions easily transposable in all countries. This requires significantly rethinking and, as a crucial part of the conference, will be the theme of UN Sustainable Development Goals related to water challenges. By bringing together stakeholders from research and industry as well as policy-makers and relevant organisations, the conference contributes to filling knowledge gaps regarding the environmental behaviour of pollutants and their effects on human health. Specific topics to be covered include development of analysis and detection systems, water treatment opportunities, impacts of wastewater reuse on human health, new water management practices and risk prediction.