This year Sydney Water celebrates its history, people and contributions to Sydney since 1888. In 1888, Sydney did not have adequate water and sewerage services and was at the mercy of limited water supply, droughts and sanitation problems causing serious health issues, including an outbreak of typhoid fever. Today, Sydney Water is Australia’s largest water utility and operates more than 21,000 kilometres of water pipes, 269 reservoirs, 24,000 kilometres of wastewater pipes and over 800 pumping stations.
In support of the International Year of Water Cooperation, the United Nations Association of Australia (Vic) Sustainability Leadership Seminar, Corporate Water Valuation: Accounting for Risks and Impacts, Valuing Ecosystem Services will bring together experts and practitioners from business, government and civil society to discuss corporate water valuation as a critical area of natural capital valuation for Australian business.
Leaders and decision-makers from across Australia and the Asia Pacific will take their seats at the upcoming Asia Pacific Water Recycling Conference. This event will compel you to discuss and debate a diverse range of water recycling challenges and solutions, explore new innovative technologies and ways to improve public acceptance, project delivery and thought leadership.
It is an exciting time, full of change for the water sector. With shifting government agendas and extreme climate conditions, the work of water professionals is as important as ever. To overcome the challenges, we need to ensure we are innovative, strong leaders, and are able to effectively communicate and engage with the community. An event of the Australian Water Association (AWA), the joint Water Education, Water Efficiency & Water Skills National Conference is an opportunity to learn, share experience and network with other water professionals.
World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. 2013 has been declared as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation, and in reflection of this declaration World Water Day 2013 will also be dedicated to water cooperation.
The new CRC for Water Sensitive Cities brings together the inter-disciplinary research expertise and thought-leadership to undertake research that will revolutionise water management in Australia and overseas. In collaboration with over 70 research, industry and government partners, we will deliver the socio-technical urban water management solutions, education and training programs, and industry engagement required to make towns and cities water sensitive.
In 2009, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and IUCN released Water for Business – the first online guide specifically designed for businesses to help them manage water more sustainably by providing them with an overview of water tools and initiatives which they can use or engage with. The third edition is now available.
National Water Week is an annual awareness week that aims to improve community understanding of water issues in Australia. Water must be used wisely if there is to be enough to meet the needs of future generations. Awareness about the amount of water used in everyday tasks is the first step in developing a responsible approach to water use. That is why the theme for this year’s National Water Week is ‘Valuing our Water’.
Globally, urban growth will add 1.5 billion people to cities by 2030, making the difficult task of urban water provisions even more challenging. In the article Global Urban Growth and the Geography of Water Availability, Quality, and Delivery, the authors develop a conceptual framework of urban water provision as composed of three axes: water availability, water quality, and water delivery. For each axis, quantitative proxy measures are calculated for all cities with more than 50,000 residents, and then the strategies cities are using in response if they are deficient on one of the axes are briefly discussed.
Participants are encouraged to submit their photos of water – the good, bad and the ugly – in western Sydney for the Water in the Landscape Photo Competition. The photo competition is open to any photo that captures water in a natural or urban environment and has three categories – schools, individuals 16 years and over, and individuals 15 years and younger. First, second and third prizes will be awarded for each category. The competition closes on 31 July 2012.