MORE BLUE VOICES

ANNE GROSPERRIN

Vice-President of the Métropole de Lyon (city of Lyon, France), responsible for the water cycle. President of the Régie “Eau publique du Grand-Lyon”. Ecologist. Sept. 2013-Dez. 2015 General Secretary of the Europe Ecologie les Verts Group – Rhone-Alpes Region

«Public management is a philosophical, political and democratic choice that represents a paradigm shift in the way we view water, no longer as a mere resource, but as a vital common good for all living things, to be managed and preserved in the public interest. This is the vision I share with the Blue Community.»

DOROTHEE SPUHLER

OST Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Science, UMTEC Institute for Environmental and Process Engineering, Project Manager Global Cooperation, Adapted Water Technologies & Systems SuSanA (Sustainable Sanitation Alliance), Eawag and Board Member VaLoo. Further information and links here

«Water is everywhere and connects everything, including us humans with everything that surrounds us. It is the basis of our lives and we need to protect it and make it accessible to everyone. Access to water and sustainable (waste) water management is something I am also committed to professionally. Through Blue Communities, I can network and work with other stakeholders to contribute to the human right to water and sanitation.»

JAN SEIBERT

Since 2009 Prof. at the Department for Geography of the University of Zurich where he leads the research group for Hydrology & Climate. see here

«As a hydrologist, the Blue Community goals are very close to my heart – water is a vital part of our environment that needs to be protected and used fairly. To achieve this, water researchers need to work together across traditional scientific boundaries.»

ANNA HOFMANN

Environmental engineer and Ph.D. student based at Fraunhofer UMSICHT in Oberhausen Germany. Actively contributing to the SUSKULT project, my focus lies in nutrient recovery from wastewater for sustainable fertilizer production. My research centers on developing a lab-scale process to facilitate this goal, showcasing my dedication to advancing environmental engineering and pioneering innovative solutions for urban water treatment challenges.

«The Blue Community enhances visibility for our shared topics, showcasing their relevance to policymakers. Together, our collective strength amplifies the impact of our research beyond individual efforts.»

DENNIS AGOTI

WASH Technical Specialist at Peace Winds | Providing Sustainable WASH Solutions, Nairobi, Kenia Working with HuProTech GmbH as Water and Sanitation Policy Advocate. Active with Kenya Water Institute – Nairobi Campus

«Access to clean and safe water is a fundamental human right. The Blue Community movement is committed to advocating for the protection and equitable distribution of water resources. Efforts to address water-related challenges are essential in ensuring that all individuals have access to sufficient, safe, and affordable water. Advocates for water rights argue that it should be treated as a basic human right. This perspective aligns with the recognition by various international organizations and declarations that access to clean water is essential for sustaining life, health, and dignity.Let us all come together to support the Blue Community movement and ensure that access to clean water is a basic human right for all.»

GEMMA GASSEAU

PhD candidate in Transnational Governance, a joint program of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Scuola Normale Superiore, Firenze, Italy, and Sant’Anna School for Advanced Studies. Her current research focuses on the politicization of water governance in the European Union prior, during and after the Eurozone crisis. See also her article Negotiating the public: re-municipalization, water politics and social reproduction

«Water is essential for life. Therefore, initiatives upholding the right to water, like the Blue Communities, are important for advancing social and environmental justice.»

JOHN OLDFIELD

CEO, Accelerate Global, LLC Advocacy Advisor, Swiss Water and Sanitation Consortium Managing Principal, Global Water 2020 (2017 – 2021).

«Safe water is a human right for individuals, households, healthcare facilities, schools, and other institutions. We must now work on the progressive realization of that human right. Elected officials – including Members of Parliament, Governors, and Mayors – are pivotal, but often under-recognized, in this fight across countries in the global south and north. They represent their people and communities, and we must put them to work for water.» See also his text «Calling on parliaments: Human rights and the potential of Parliamentary Water Caucuses»

SABINE ZIEGLER

Environmental scientist, project manager Grüner Güggel (Green Rooster) parish of Zurich, the biggest parish in Europe.

«Humans consist of 60% water. If we do not ensure safe and clean access to water, we are endangering our very existence. The situation is not yet acute in the global North, but this could change rapidly with climate change.»

ULI PAETZEL

Chairman of the Board of Germany’s largest water management association @EGLVde & President of DWA (Deutsche Vereinigung für Wasserwirtschaft, Abwasser und Abfall e. V.) @dwa_ev Driving force in the Ruhr region. Likes Adorno, jazz and Schalke 04.

«The Blue Community is growing and getting stronger. In Africa, Europe, Canada and hopefully soon in Latin America, Asia and Australia, new Blue Communities are joining. We hope that this website will serve as a platform for information and exchange for all the old and new Blue Communities. Welcome to Blue Community.net »

 

«We can no longer imagine life without access to clean drinking water. This is why access to clean water has been recognized as a human right by the UN General Assembly since 2010. In order to be able to grant this human right to future generations, sustainable management of our water resources is essential, especially in view of climate change. Our task as the DWA is to develop concepts on how we can make optimum use not only of clean water, but also of our wastewater. This is the only way we can conserve our water resources and protect them from harmful environmental influences in the interests of future generations.»

AMAKA NWEKE

Coordinator of the Nigerian Blue Community NEWARI – Network of Water Rights Initiative.

«Water and food are essential
for human survival. Access to safe and clean drinking water is crucial, as its absence can lead to fatal consequences. Humans need water to sustain life. As a fundamental human right, water should never be taken for granted, but valued and protected as a vital resource for human existence.»

 

HEINZ BICHSEL

Head of Department ecumenical affairs, Mission, International Cooperation and Migration of the Reformed Churches of Berne-Jura-Solothurn, Switzerland

«Water is the basis for all life. As such, Blue Community speaks to the essence of humanity and nature. The care of water is therefore a bond between us as human beings, and a bond between us and all living beings. Privatisation and the senseless economisation of water destroy this connection to the foundations of life. The principles of the Blue Community, on the other hand, enable us to care for the basis of life, water, in global solidarity, without putting a price on water or packaging it in bottles.»

 

STEFAN HASLER

Director of VSA, the major Swiss Water Association.

«The VSA has been committed to the protection and sustainable use of water as a resource for many decades. With this in mind, I am delighted that the VSA has now become a Blue Community! The four principles of Blue Community are fully in line with our commitment: water as a human right (1) and a public good (2), promotion of tap water instead of bottled water (3) and a commitment in an international context (4).»

ROLAND BRUNNER

Roland Brunner lives in Zurich, Switzerland. He coordinates the international Blue University Chapter and is the Content Manager for this website.


«The Blue Community is growing and getting stronger. In Africa, Europe, Canada and hopefully soon in Latin America, Asia and Australia, new Blue Communities are joining. We hope that this website will serve as a platform for information and exchange for all the old and new Blue Communities. Welcome to Blue Community.net »