PEOPLE 2023 Short Course

Circular Economy Solutions for Tackling Water-Related Challenges and Achieving SDG 6

Speakers
Dr. Nidhi Nagabhatla (virtual)
United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS), Belgium; McMaster University, Canada; Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), Bolivia
Dr. Sanae Okamoto (virtual)
The United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT), Netherlands
Dr. Paula Cecilia Soto Rios (in-person)
Postgraduate Coordinator, Chemical Engineering, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), Bolivia

Date: Monday, August 7, 2023
Time:
TBD (90 minutes)
Location:
Concordia University, Montreal, Canada; Room TBD

Course Description:

In this course, we will highlight the current gaps and needs in circularity practices in the water sector, emphasize the importance of integrating circular economy-focused advances and innovations into water management strategies to achieve SDGs. Through discussions on the roles of various stakeholders, we noted the need for a coordinated and collaborative effort to create a sustainable and circular water management system that benefits all. The workshop session will highlight the potential of circularity-focused innovations in agriculture, aquaculture, and industry competitiveness to promote sustainable production chains that are inclusive and aim for water-sensitive economic growth. By prioritizing the sustainable circulation of water through the adoption of circular economy principles, integrated management of water resources and wastewater could help reduce inequalities, promote local community development, and enhance the resilience of informal systems, indigenous communities, and gender sensitive water planning and policies. Overall, the workshop will showcase and discuss best practices and explore a framework for effective integration of circularity into water management strategies while answering the set of questions outlined below.

Q1: What are the main challenges to establish effective circular economy systems, policies institutions in the water sector via national and regional collaboration, and how can they be overcome?

•Q2: How to ensure that organized and ad hoc collaboration for circularity in the context of specific goals and targets like SDG is boosted, can this approach help transform into long-term sustainability partnership and practice?

•Q3: What are the most effective ways to foster cooperation in establishing circularity in the water sector? On what basis should social inclusion take place in such scenarios?

•Q4: Does circularity governance require its own institutional setup, such as committees and commissions, or should it be integrated in regional/sectoral organizations, such as the wastewater management authorities and environmental impact assessment frameworks?

Learning outcomes
1. Better the understanding of key areas for integrating circular economy-focused advances and innovations into water management and how can this contribute to the achievement of SDGs.

2. Boost understanding of current gaps and needs within existing practices of circularity in the water sector and how existing frameworks can influence future water strategies.

3. Enhance understanding the potential of circularity-focused innovations in water use in agriculture, aquaculture, and industry competitiveness in global supply chains committed to local sustainable development toward inclusive and water sensitive economic growth.

4. Boost understanding of strategies for integrating water security into economic, social, and environmental aspects of urban and regional planning to reduce inequalities, promote local community development, and enhance the resilience of informal systems, how to ensure that these models are sensitive of setting of indigenous communities, and need of gender groups.

5. Develop understanding of integrated management approaches for water resources and wastewater that prioritize the sustainable circulation of water through the adoption of circular economy principles.

6. Understand the roles of youth, civil societies, and entrepreneurs in driving pro-environmental business practices and innovation in the water sector.

7. Explore how a coordinated and collaborative effort from a diverse group of stakeholders can create a sustainable and circular water management system that benefits all and contributes to the implementation of SDG 6 and other related SDGs.

Agenda

Welcome Note and Opening Talk: Workshop Lead: Prof. Dr.Nidhi Nagabhatla (UNU-CRIS, Belgium) (15 mins)

Talk 1: Overview of Circular Economy and Water Security in the Latin American Region: Dr Cecilia Soto (15 mins)

Exercise and interactive discussion based on this talk (Nidhi + Cecilia) (20 mins)

Talk 2: Multiple Dimensions in Application of Circular Economy Solutions for Tackling Sustainability Challenges, including Achieving SDG 6: Dr Sanae Okamoto (15 mins)

Exercise and interactive discussion based on this talk (Sanae) (10 mins)

Concluding Notes and Reflections from Participants (15 mins)

Speaker Profiles

Dr. Nidhi Nagabhatla

United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS), Belgium;
McMaster University, Canada;
Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), Bolivia
https://cris.unu.edu/nidhi-nagabhatla

Bio:
Nidhi Nagabhatla is a Senior Fellow and Cluster Coordinator: Nature, Climate and Health at United Nations University – CRIS Belgium. As a sustainability science specialist and a systems analyst with >20 years of work experience, she has led, coordinated, and implemented transdisciplinary projects in various geographical regions of Asia, Africa, Europe, and Americas working with international organizations and leading research and capacity development initiatives. She is also affiliated with Oxford University (UK) and Leibniz University (Germany) in various roles, mostly related to sustainability research, science-policy interfacing and mentoring young professionals. She serves as Adj. Associate Professor at the School of Earth, Environment & Society McMaster University, Canada, and a Guest Professor at Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Bolivia. She also served as the Chair of The Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (UNEP) and co-leads the ‘Water and Migration Working Group’ of The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. She was a lead author in the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment Report. Currently, she is actively involved with three expert working committees of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030).

Dr. Sanae Okamoto

The United Nations University - Maastricht Economic
and Social Research Institute on Innovation and
Technology (UNU-MERIT), Netherlands
https://www.merit.unu.edu/about-us/profile/?staff_id=3490

Bio:
Dr. Okamoto received her MA in Psychology from Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Japan and her PhD in Psychology from Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University. Her MA and PhD research were conducted at Kyoto University, Japan and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany.

Her early research career focused on social dynamics and behaviour in primates (chimpanzees and humans) at Kyoto University and Nagoya University, Japan; the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany; University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA; and the field sites in Republic of Guinea and Republic of Liberia.

In the last years, she worked as an assistant professor of behavioural economics and neuroeconomics at the School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University. Before officially joining at MERIT in the early 2021, she was in private sector to address societal challenges and behavioural interventions and contributed to a number of consultancy projects and workshops in behavioural insights informed interventions, business development; program management; university-industry liaison, etc.

She is also a member of the Comprehensive Innovation Team - System Transition and Climate Action.

Dr. Paula Cecilia Soto Rios

Postgraduate Coordinator, Chemical Engineering,
Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), Bolivia

Bio:
Cecilia has a degree on environmental engineering, and she was fortunate to obtain MEXT scholarship to do her Master and PhD in Japan at Tohoku University where she gained wide-range experience in Ecological engineering. Currently, she is Chair of the International Water Association in Bolivia, professor, and coordinator of Postgraduate Programs in Chemical Engineering at Mayor de San Andres University in La Paz, Bolivia. She has been doing research to use biosorbents for water treatment for indigenous communities in order to remove heavy metals from water. She has received two international awards as researcher. She also gained knowledge in resolution of environmental issues in international organizations and NGOs. She is affiliated to other Bolivian Universities as Lecturer Escuela Militar de Ingenieria and Catholic University in the ePC Master Program.

PEOPLE 2023 Workshop

Best Practises in Indigenous Engagement

Speakers:
Innovation Seven

Date: Monday, August 7, 2023
Time:
TBD 
Location:
Concordia University, Montreal, Canada; Room TBD

Further details will be provided shortly!

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor

Top