Climate change causes an increase in extreme weather events in many countries of the world. This has drastic impacts, for instance, on food security, infrastructure, and health, and challenges the very basis of human development. Many countries are experiencing such challenges for a long time, but events such as the 2021 floods in Germany’s Ahr-valley, only about 50 km from Bonn, show that we need to adapt here in Europe, too. The special event focuses on water resilience as a comprehensive approach that includes engineering resilience in water supply infrastructure but also more integrative and ecologically‐centered approaches and institutional and governance dimensions.
— Session Programme
The special event will address these challenges with the following speakers:
- Opening remarks by Ines Dombrowsky, Head of Program Environmental Governance and Transformation to Sustainability, German Institute of Development and Sustainability
- Opening remarks by Michal Mlynár, Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat
- Panel discussion: Adapting Governance and Infrastructure for Water Resilience
Ignatius Jean, Executive Director, Caribbean Water and Sewerage Association (CAWASA)
Georg Johann, Managing director of the flood competence center/ HochwasserKompetenzCentrum e.V.
André Dzikus, Chief of Urban Basic Services Section at UN-Habitat
Mariele Evers, Acting director of the Department of Geography at Bonn University and Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair on Human-Water Systems
Moderation:
Annabelle Houdret (Senior Researcher at IDOS, Speaker of the BonnWaterNetwork)
- Closing remarks by Melanie Grabowy, Deputy Mayor of the city of Bonn
A reception after the debate will provide opportunities for deepening the discussions and networking.
