Water plays an important role in ensuring equitable, sustainable and productive rural economies. In addition to being an essential element for agricultural production, nutrition and human health, water enables job opportunities in numerous key sectors across the rural economy. Improved access to water and sanitation leads to increased agricultural productivity, enabling farmers to increase yields on their harvests. This increased production can provide a source of income for individuals and households, and thereby boosting regional economies. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development acknowledges the role of water in eradicating poverty and ensuring sustainable green growth as essential. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on clean water and sanitation aims to put the right to water in practice and to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Many other SDGs are closely linked to water-related issues, and water can be considered as a fundamental driver of green growth. Rural livelihoods are often dependent on adequatewater supply, and increasing water scarcity and competition for water resources are threatening these livelihoods. It is therefore of vital importance to ensure access to sufficient, clean and easily accessible water sources in the rural areas.The Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers as a responsive professional engineering body has been organising the International Water Conference to bring together stakeholders in the water sector to discuss topical issues affecting the water sector and harvest ideas that will engender rapid development in the sector. In other to make the 2024 edition more successful than previous years, partnering with other relevant stakeholders and development partners has become an imperative in furtherance of goal 17 of the SDG.
Conference ObjectivesThe International Conference aims to harvest knowledge from around the world on rural water supply and sanitation systems. This will be achieved as outlined in the following objectives:
> Promote cross-pollination of ideas and synergy among experts, managers, decision-makers and the academia.
> Provide a forum to facilitate knowledge exchange, based on real experiences and innovations from water sector professionals across
Nigeria.
> Support international efforts to ensure partnerships for sustainable and accelerated water supply in Nigeria by highlighting and documenting lessons learned.
> Provide networking among water sector professionals for sustainable management of water infrastructures.
> Set new directions for research, knowledge, and capacity-building needs of the water sector.
Target Audience:NIWE hopes to bring together all water sector practitioners from the public and private sectors of the economy including NGOs, CBOs, and other relevant stakeholders. Specifically, the conference targets managers, decision-makers, technocrats, academia, and industries that are connected with water.
Sub Themes:
T1. Accelerating sustainable access to rural WASH services
T2. Improving rural water supply for food security and economic growth
T3. Innovative and Smart Water and Sanitation Technologies for rural areas
T4. Nature based solutions for rural WASH improvements
T5. Participatory irrigation water management for food security and livelihood enhancement
T6. Gender Mainstreaming in Rural water supply and economic advancement
T7. Mitigating Climate Change Impact on Rural Water Supply for Food Security
Features:
· PLENARY SESSIONS
· PANEL DISCUSSION
· TECHNICAL SESSIONS
· EXHIBITIONS
· ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
· GALA NIGHT/DINNER
Important Dates:
1st Announcement/Call for Abstract - 19th February 2024
2nd Announcement/Call for Manuscript - 13th May 2024
Early bird registration opens - 15th June 2024
Acceptance of Full Manuscripts - 14th July 2024
Early Bird payment closes - 30th August 2024
Conference Dates - 17th - 19th September 2024
Abstract Submission:
Authors are invited to submit abstracts using the abstract template available at https://bit.ly/3MMiP8l under the relevant sub-themes. The deadline for abstract submission is 10th April 2024. Abstracts can also be sent directly to niweconference@gmail.com Only Abstracts prepared in line with the conference theme will be accepted. Papers of high academic standard will be published in the NIWE Water Journal (ISSN: 2672 – 4960).
