Turning the tide
THEME: “Turning the tide”
We are excited to announce that the Biennial WISA 2024 Conference will be hosted again in the city of Durban from 12 – 14 June 2024 at the Durban ICC. To maintain the momentum of the 2022 conference, this event will continue with the nautical theme and aims to engage professionals and thought leaders to collaborate on providing valuable insight and innovative solutions that will guide the progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We require accelerated change to reach the 2030 targets by “Turning the tide”.
Water is key to the economy including maintaining public health, jobs as well as poverty eradication (inequality). It forms the basis of many industries and the social well-being of all people. The 2024 Conference will bring together academics, professionals and industry leaders in the water, sanitation, health, hygiene, mining, agriculture and manufacturing as well as the public sector in terms of policy makers, law makers and servicing authorities to collaborate on driving solutions for the broader challenges within the sector and build resilience against climate change through innovation and technology.
See you there!
The subthemes are:
Hands on the wheel: Moving towards stronger partnerships and stakeholder engagement
This subtheme will focus on international initiatives, public private partnerships (PPPs), SDG6 communication and stakeholders, including developing capacity within the WASH sector such as technical skills and soft skills.
Aye Aye Capt’n: Turn the tide with improved governance
This subtheme targets water governance, water law and regulation, water economics, business development with particular attention to the circular economy, Financials & Infrastructure Asset management
Forging A’Head: Improving municipal water and sanitation service delivery
All things service related such as drinking (potable) water and access to clean water, municipal performance, blue and green drop certification, sanitation delivery including alternative sanitation, excluding sewage treatment technology and infrastructure design, construction, operation and maintenance and efficiency.
Reading the charts: Effecting resilient planning and management in a changing environment
With a changing environment and the impacts of climate change, it is integral to effectively plan toward integrated waste resources management, project management, disaster management (as a result of floods, droughts, waterborne diseases, pollution incidents), surface water resource protection and accessibility, including hydrology, in all terrestrial habitats and aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, this subtheme will invite papers on groundwater management, availability, accessibility and resilience planning including stormwater management. In addition, with attention to SDG2, agriculture and plant-soil-water enhancements.
Tending the lookout: optimising Monitoring and Efficiency
Monitoring and evaluation are key to efficient service delivery. This subtheme focusses on efficiency in water use with water balances, water quantity monitoring, WCDM and wastewater reuse, water quality impacts (surface and groundwater), monitoring, assessment and modelling. New methods and instrumentation for monitoring in chemical, microbiological and other laboratory analyses.
Clipping new edges with Innovation and Technology
Innovation leads to change and progressive movement. This subtheme will target treatment technologies in wastewater and wastewater reuse, including sewage treatment, wastewater and faecal sludge, mine water and acid mine drainage, nature-based solutions such as natural and constructed wetlands, 4IR, bioremediation, alternative technology (non-sanitation), applied science or Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The conference engagement and technical sessions are intended to align efforts on climate action, including measures to bridge the gaps in progress. We envisage that this conference will steer the course and accelerate activities towards achieving SDG6 by 2030, and beyond.