As the ideas for tackling water shortages and climate change dwindle in cities, decision-makers are being encouraged to seek advice from young people to catalyse new thinking in management approaches and research areas. The Austrian Ministry of Environment and Water has pioneered the field 6 years ago and uses workshops at schools as a platform to inform and harness creative ways of thinking about excessive water consumption in urban areas. Similarly, the partners of European Commission project WIDEST are holding a workshop for young water professionals (YWPs) to develop a roadmap that inspires leaders from governments, water utilities, urban planners and technology providers to realize Smart Water Cities.
As developer of the European roadmap on ICT for Water Management, Marcin Stachura (ICT4Water Cluster) will share insights on the current priorities and strategies of the European Commission. Francesc Guitart (Eurecat) will zoom in further to discuss lessons learned from practical case studies and research efforts as collected by WIDEST partners. During a ‘world café’, participants will identify challenges and solution strategies to overcome these, which will evolve in the Young Water Professionals version of the Roadmap to ICT for Water in Smart Cities of which the best one will be awarded. The event will be closed, by engaging in lively discussions with senior professionals during a cocktail reception powered by MM Spa.
Would you like to get inspired and have an impact too? Register for this free workshop on 19th of October at Bologna, Italy during the IWA Water IDEAS conference here and get the conference program here
