Newsletter 01 January 2019 - Special Issue

Cabo Verde, in collaboration with Italy and FAO, will host the up and coming WASAG International Forum 1^st International Forum on Water Scarcity in Agriculture to be held in Praia, Cabo Verde from 19 to 22 March 2019, to coincide with the celebrations of the World Water Day 2019 which this year adopts the theme of ‘Leaving no one behind’.
The forum aims at identifying concrete – practical, innovative and collaborative- solutions to address water scarcity in agriculture in a changing climate. With a focus on Cabo Verde, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and West African countries, the forum is expected to illustrate how water scarcity in agriculture can be addressed and turned into an opportunity for sustainable development, food and nutrition security. Focus areas are:

1. Water and Migration
2. Drought Preparedness
3. Financing Mechanisms for sustainable management of water resources
4. Water and Nutrition
5. Sustainable Agriculture Water Use
6. Saline Agriculture
   Interested individuals and organizations can submit technical contributions (papers or posters) to WASAG-registration@fao.org. Organizations or group of organizations can also submit proposals for a side event.
   The due date for all the submissions is 10 February 2019. More info is available here

The preliminary conference program for the upcoming, 11^th International SedNet conference “Sediment as a dynamic natural resource – from catchment to open sea” is available on the conference website. The conference is co-organised by the Ruđer Bošković Institute and the University of Dubrovnik, with support of the IAEA. Main session topics are:

• Sediment management concept and sediment policy
• The impact and transport of microplastics
• Ballast water and sediments – BWM Convention
• Circular economy – sediment as a resource
• Sediment quality guidance, sediment quality assessment
• Climate change and sediments: direct and indirect consequences
• How can sediment management influence ecosystem services provision?
• Nuclear and isotopic analytical techniques in sediment analysis
• Impacts of disturbed sediment continua and mitigation measures
• Cooperation – a question of common sense. Can legal steps help to enforce?
• Using Sediment as a resource

The topic of the introductory EWA event series is ‘’Design of Modern Waste Water Treatment Plants’’ and will be held in Prague. On 19^th September 2018 the new waste water treatment plant in Prague was inaugurated. Its innovative design and new processes are the focal point of this workshop which entails:
- How to run a modern WWTP;
- Challenges during the construction of a new WWTP;
- Implications of emerging contaminants.

The theme for the conference is Advanced Technologies and Solutions for Groundwater Management and Use for Drinking Water Supply, with the following sub-themes:

• Groundwater-based Drinking Water Supply (Treatment, Distribution, Monitoring and Control, and Reuse)
• Groundwater Remediation
• Groundwater Mapping, Monitoring and Modelling.

The aim of the 11^th World Congress of EWRA Congress is to discuss innovation in water resources management to address current and future challenges: growing uncertainty, greater extremes, increasing demand, water scarcity and global change. While traditional management practice is still effective, new technologies and approaches are emerging to better protect, regulate, allocate and recycle water resources. Sustainable management of water resources in the 21^st Century requires a comprehensive understanding of the interaction of complex natural and social components in a changing context. The Congress will seek scientifically sound and economically-efficient solutions that are environmentally friendly, socially acceptable and climate-proof.
The Congress intends to be a forum for scientists and engineers from diverse cultures around the world to discuss their understanding of water resources systems at a diversity of scales and to promote environmentally sustainable water resources management.

The conference will be, once again, the opportunity for scientists and practitioners to come together and discuss their work with a focus, on science and practice for an uncertain future.
FLOODrisk2020 is therefore committed to attract, coach and listen to the next generation of scientists and practitioners who will future-proof our research methods and help to improve our flood risk management practice in order to better cope with deep uncertainty.