On World Environment Day, the Blue Community Network together with its partner CARN-AP (Climate Action Ressource Network – Asia Pacific) organised the webinar “Water at the Frontline: Urgent Climate Action in a Warming World” (see here). Now the recording of the webinar is available, and below an automated Zoom summary with links to download some presentations (still to be completed with presentations coming in).
Automated Zoom Meeting summary and presentations
Quick recap
This webinar was organized to mark the 53rd World Environment Day, focusing on water issues and climate action. The event featured presentations from several panelists discussing various aspects of water security and challenges. Maude Barlow, co-founder of the Council of Canadians and author of “Earth for Sale,” provided an overview of the Blue Communities movement, which promotes water as a human right and public service. Sheikh Tawhidul Islam presented a case study on the Bengal Delta’s epistemic crisis and path to water security in a warming world. Layla Mehta discussed off-grid sanitation challenges in South Asia, particularly focusing on the safe reuse of wastewater and faecal sludge management. Gonzalo Pena spoke about water landscape and cultural preservation in the Andean region, highlighting concerns about glacier depletion due to climate change. Yonariza discussed water resource issues in Indonesia, including challenges with climate change and sectoral impacts. Dinesh Suna, coordinator of the Ecumenical Water Network of the World Council of Churches, presented on the missing link between climate, land, and food security, drawing on recent UN forums. The webinar concluded with discussions about solutions, including the importance of community-led approaches and restoring the health of water bodies.
Summary
Maude Barlow, co-founder and chairperson of the Council of Canadians, delivered the opening address at the Blue Communities gathering, providing a history of the movement that began in Canada 15-16 years ago to protect public water services from privatization. She explained how the movement has grown to include over 25 million people worldwide across cities, faith-based groups, and universities, leading to important UN resolutions recognizing water as a human right. Maude also discussed current threats including the financialization of nature and water, and the need for an international movement against AI centers that are being built in areas lacking water access.
For information about the new book, interviews and reviews, see here.
Sheikh Tawhidul Islam presented on water security challenges in the Bengal Delta, highlighting how human-induced changes have affected river morphological conditions and groundwater depletion. He discussed how historical interventions like embankments have disrupted natural delta processes, leading to complex water management issues. He proposed a “Delta Centrism” approach that views the delta as a dynamic socio-ecological system rather than just a physical space for human activities. The presentation concluded with a call for stronger political commitment to address water security as a global priority, with Roland noting that Sheikh Tawhidul Islam’s plans to publish an article on this topic for further reading.
Download the presentation as PDF / See the presentation as video
Lyla Mehta presented on the “Towards Brown Gold” project, focusing on the challenges of safely managing wastewater and faecal sludge in off-grid urban areas, particularly in Asia. She highlighted the issues of untreated wastewater, climate change impacts on sanitation systems, and the vulnerability of marginalized communities. Lyla emphasized the need for sustainable and socially just approaches to sanitation, moving beyond just constructing toilets to ensuring safe waste management. The presentation concluded with a call for addressing physical, sociocultural, economic, environmental, and technical processes along the sanitation chain.
Gonzalo Peña presented on cultural landscapes in the Andean region, focusing on the unique ecosystems of Paramo and Puna, which are closely linked to water resources and Andean cultures. He highlighted the challenges posed by climate change and human activities, including mining, leading to the depletion of glaciers and cultural landscapes.
Yonariza presented on Indonesia’s water resources, climate challenges, and agricultural impacts, highlighting the country’s tropical climate, groundwater dependency, and water distribution inequalities across islands.
Dinesh Suna discussed water as a missing link in climate, land, and food security, sharing insights from recent UN forums and emphasizing the need for water tenure recognition and integration across environmental and agricultural policies.
Download the presentation as PDF
The webinar concluded with discussions on local solutions for water management and the importance of community-led approaches to address global water challenges.
