How is Climate Change Adaptation Transforming Water and Sanitation Services, Governance, Management and design? A focus on African Cities
International Workshop, Accra Ghana
5th and 6th June 2024
2023 is about to become the hottest year on record on our planet. Climate change and its effects are set to accelerate, urging human societies to take action. Meanwhile, the challenge of providing safe water and sanitation to all remains daunting in many locations. For decades, many cities in Africa and Asia have been struggling to expand quality service in the face of rapid and chaotic urbanization, population growth, lack of capacity and resources. Climate change now heightens uncertainty.By nurturing slow-moving threats, such as rising sea levels and disruption of rainfall regimes, and by increasing the probability of extreme events such as droughts, floodings, and fires, it feeds population displacements and potentially contributes to political unrest . How does this evolution push actors of the water sector to think differently about how to design and manage urban water utilities? How can they adapt to a dramatic but uncertain change?
Scientific workshops organized by the ‘Water for All’ Chair bring together urban water utilities managers, experts and scholars to think about what would be the right path for further research and actions to stay on track to reach the SDGs. The 4th scientific workshop was held in 2021 and explored how to overcome institutional and organizational barriers to sanitation (Colon, Rieu, 2022). The need to devote the 5th edition to the broader challenge of provision of water and sanitation services in the light of accelerating climate change seems quite obvious. For the first time, the seminar will be held in Africa, to foster participation of water stakeholders based in this continent and case studies from African studies.
The Scientific Committee invites participants to submit short papers on innovative work exploring the theme of the workshop and to open discussions. We welcome data driven research and pluridisciplinary approaches. The following (but not exclusive) questions may be addressed:
SEE THE ATTACHMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION
Stay Informed
