Newcastle University brings international experts together to improve water governance and management in Latin America
International researchers and representatives from all sectors of society joined forces to tackle problems of social and environmental injustice related to water issues in Latin America at a special conference in São Paulo, Brazil, organised by Newcastle University.
- (1888PressRelease) February 22, 2011 - The conference was part of the annual meeting of the WATERLAT research network (www.waterlat.org) coordinated by Newcastle University's School of Geography, Politics, and Sociology (GPS) and funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
The three-day event examined the technological, social, economic, cultural, and political issues which influence sustainable water use throughout Latin America. Each day focused on one of the three main research priorities of the WATERLAT network. Topics included the tension between social and environmental justice in water management, conflicts surrounding water-related ecological distribution, and confronting vulnerability and social defencelessness in relation to water hazards and threats.
Leading sociologist and Newcastle University academic, Professor José Esteban Castro is the coordinator for the WATERLAT research network and arranged the São Paulo conference. He said: "Although Latin America has the world's largest availability of freshwater resources, according to the World Bank around 11% of the population still lacks access to clean water and 26% has no adequate sanitation facilities.
"Also, Latin America is experiencing a significant increase of largely unregulated industrious activities, particularly agribusinesses and open cast mining, which are unfortunately degrading water sources throughout the region and threatening local livelihoods and fragile ecosystems. These and other problems related to the governance and management of water are mainly political and derive from the structural social inequalities that characterise the region."
The event featured key note speeches which addressed the state of basic water and sanitation services in the region, the politics of water management, and the relationship between environmental organisations and academics. In addition, there were five round tables with the participation of academics, practitioners, representatives of community organisations, NGOs, workers' unions, indigenous movements, water utilities, and public sector institutions, among other interested parties.
There were also parallel sessions with over 100 papers presented, which focused on topics ranging from the need to improve access to basic water services to the protection of threatened water-based ecosystems.
Prof Castro explains: "Inequality in access to water is a major issue in the economic and social development of communities across Latin America. Through the work we do in WATERLAT, it's our aim to share the technological, social, economic and political experiences of the UK and our international counterparts working with Latin American partners in devising sustainable and truly democratic approaches to water governance and management.
"The WATERLAT conference was an excellent platform to deepen the debate and exchange knowledge about these issues. Its principal objective was to contribute to identifying and implementing solutions which may help to eradicate environmentally unsustainable practices and improve water governance and management in Latin America for the benefit of the population.
"The conference really served to foster international partnership working and helped to remove barriers between policy makers, academics, communities, and other relevant parties so that we can share knowledge, experience and best practice."
The event attracted delegates from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Haiti, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
The School of Geography, Politics and Sociology at Newcastle University is an international centre of excellence for research on issues of water governance and citizenship. Researchers at the School work on projects surrounding the political ecology of water, including water policy and politics in countries from the North and the Global South, water-related gender and indigenous studies, and the privatisation of water services.
The WATERLAT network brings together the research strengths of Newcastle University, Manchester University, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, The University of Buenos Aires, The Higher University of San Simón in Bolivia, The University of São Paulo, Brazil and The Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences in Mexico, which are the main partners. In addition, it enjoys strong links with other universities in the UK, Europe, the US, and Canada, and most countries in Latin America.
A large number of conference participants and members of the WATERLAT network are students. Newcastle University along with its international counterparts place great emphasis on training students with a critical mind, as the next generation of academic, professional, political, and social leaders who will face unprecedented challenges in relation to water governance and management.
###
space
space
Satisfied Users & 
Approved Press Releases
Print
Email
Report Spam