Welcome by Loco Major Bert Wijbenga and AIWW chairman Menno Holterman

The AIWW Conference 2017 resulted in the signing of nine Amsterdam Agreements expressing the intention of many leading companies, institutes and authorities in the water sector to collaborate on a wide range of challenging issues on the global water agenda. One year later it is time for a review!

Under the guidance of Natasja van den Berg, an experienced debate moderator, an interactive session has been set up. This session will inform participants about the ongoing progress, challenges, roadblocks and successes of the agreements whilst also looking critically at the future prospect of reaching their goals.

The audience consisting of representatives of cities, utilities, industries and finance will play a key role in projecting their views, experiences and thoughts onto the agreements that will give them a great boost. In this discussion representatives of the Young Water Professional network are asked to give additional reflections and suggestions based on their own views and experiences.

10.00 – 10.05
Introduction by Natasja van den Berg – Moderator

10.05 – 10.25
– Jörg Simon, Chairman-Management Board / CEO, Berliner Wasserbetriebe
– Roelof Kruize, CEO Waternet & Cooperation Water Utilities of the world

Agreements between Waternet Amsterdam, Berliner Wasserbetriebe, SIAAP Paris, New York City Department of Environmental Protection and HOFOR Copenhagen; first results of encouraging collaboration on thematic areas:
– What are the experiences of removal emerging substances (medicine, micro plastics, pesticides) in the water cycle?
– How to deal with extreme weather events (droughts and floods)?
– Which steps are necessary for a circular approach?

SIGNING OF MOU BETWEEN WATERNET AND SIAAP, in presence of Jacques Olivier, General Director SIAAP and Roelof Kruize, CEO Waternet

10.25 – 10.35
Blue Deal: safe water for 20 million people
– Hein Pieper, Vice President of the Dutch regional water authorities / Chairman of the water authority ‘Rijn and IJssel’

10.35 – 10.55
FMO – NWP: developing and financing international water initiatives
– Aart Mulder, Manager NL Business / Project & Partnership Development, FMO and Ewout van Galen, Acting Director NWP

SIGNING OF MOU BETWEEN FMO AND NETHERLANDS WATER PARTNERSHIP (NWP)

10.55 – 11.05
Upscale water resource recovery, Allied Waters, AquaMinerals and KWR
– Jos Boere, Director, Allied Waters

11.05 – 11.15
Water in the Circular Economy (WiCE)
– Marcel Paalman, Senior scientific researcher

11.15 – 11.25
Roadmap to Human Cities
– Anne-Marie Rakhorst, Chair Human Cities Coalition / Initiator Slum Dwellers International

11.25 – 11.35
Living with the sea
– Sebastian Dinjens, Alderman City of Velsen

11.35 – 11.45
Wrap up by Natasja van den Berg, Chair for the day and Bianca Nijhof, Global Sustainablility Program Manager, Arcadis

This session is dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Europe and the implementation of the Agenda 2030 targets via innovative and well financed solutions. We will discuss the current status of Europe’s SDG policies, implementation and monitoring in European sanitation efforts, water quality, and water use efficiency. But it will also be a discussion about ‘water beyond Europe’. European consumption contributes to a global water footprint. EU priority setting is needed given that planetary boundaries are exceeded and the EU is playing a crucial role in the Agenda 2030.

The plenary presentations on the status of European SDGs will be followed by a panel discussion on the ability to finance water-related investment needs and potential instruments and institutional arrangements to ‘value and finance water’. This session will discuss the importance of integration between diverse benchmarks, parameters and indicators. Integration is important to support comprehensive understanding of sustainability issues, policy formulation and assessment of trade-offs. Last but not least, sustainability indexation should support new financial instruments and systems that help address policies, business models and institutional arrangements in ‘valuing water’.

10.00 – 10.05
Introduction by Hugo von Meijenfeldt – Moderator

10.05 – 10.15
SDG Scan Europe
– Kees van Leeuwen, Principal Scientist, KWR

10.15 – 10.25
SDG Financing Europe
– Pavel Misiga, head of unit, DG RTD, European Commission

10.25 – 10.35
Investment needs and financing capacities in EU Water Management
– Xavier Leflaive, Principal Administrator, OECD

10.35 – 10.45
‘Water beyond Europe’ publication on Water & SDGs
– Gaetano Casale, Manager Liaison Office, IHE Delft – International Relations, WssTP

10.45 – 10.55
Institutional arrangements in valuing water
– Stuart Orr, Practice Lead, Water at World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

10.55 – 11.35
Panel discussion on ‘valuing water and sustainability’

Panelists:
• Christopher Gasson, Owner Global Water Intelligence (GWI)
• Lydia Whyatt, Managing Director, Water Investments, Resonance Asset Management
• Piet Klop, Senior Advisor Responsible Investment, PGGM
• Aaron Vermeulen, Global Lead Finance & Freshwater, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF)
• Kees Ouboter, Responsible Investment Officer, Actiam

11.35 – 11.45
Reflection
– Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs
– Hugo von Meijenfeldt, Dutch SDG Coordinator, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Kick off by Natasja van den Berg, Chair for the day

Lying for almost 80% below sea level, Rotterdam is very much aware of the impact of climate change and the necessity of climate adaptation. The city has an integrated adaptation strategy and is an active participant within the Dutch Delta Program. The city is collaborating with other cities, water authorities and knowledge institutes in the region. In addition, Rotterdam is developing the C40 Adaptation Academy, member of 100Resilient Cities and host to different climate conferences.

Reflection on the objective of the Dutch Government to provide effective water management to protect against flooding, and improved water quality.

Keynote session on results after adoption of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. The EU will be identifying the most relevant sustainability concerns. With this, the Commission commits to mainstreaming the SDG’s into EU policies and initiatives. It will provide regular reporting of the EU’s progress as of 2017 (including in the context of the UN High Level Political Forum) and promote sustainable development globally in cooperation with external partners.

Key note session on the vision and roadmap for creating an integrated water world, inclusive of individual ‘water identities’. The talk will discuss the inspiration underpinning the endeavor and the aspiring role of Young Water Professionals in delivering a success.

The outputs of the AIWW Summit 2018 will form the AIWW roadmap; a line up of priorities and focus areas for the AIWW Conference in 2019. What are the future requirements to implement integrated solutions?

Join the roundtable sessions and help to emphasize the objectives and goals in connection to the agenda for 2030. Which challenges will we face and what resources do we need to achieve these objectives and goals? The sessions will bring forth an agenda-setting dialogue which will be used as input for the broader AIWW Community, Amsterdam Agreements and other upcoming international events.

Moderator: Veronica Manfredi, Director of directorate for Quality of life, DG Environment, European Commission (tbc )

Introduction(s) by: Carolien Ligtenberg, Progamme Manager Fab City Nature

Amsterdam Agreement: Living with the sea

Nature-based solutions could be the first option to consider when building future physical infrastructure. A new approach that begins with the natural system and uses ecosystem services to meet society’s need for infrastructure and encourages the development of nature at the same time. Meanwhile the agenda 2030 will also focus on societal needs within sustainable development of coastal regions and towns. A new, open form of regional development with social added value and a process in which learning, experimenting and evolving is carried out.

Moderator: Christopher Gasson, Owner, Global Water Intelligence

Introductie: Hein Pieper, Vice President of the Dutch regional water authorities, Chairman of the water authority ‘Rijn and IJssel’

Amsterdam Agreement: Blue Deal: safe water for 20 million people

How can partnerships and alliances help 20 million people in 40 catchment areas around the world gain access to clean, sufficient and safe water. Projects need to be carried out within partnerships that will improve water management. The focus is on providing help, but also on creating opportunities for businesses and on learning from other countries.

In this session we would like to discuss among others the future requirements, objectives and challenges of the Blue Deal Programme. Projects are carried out within the partnerships that will improve water management step by step. In doing so, the programme will help achieve Sustainable Development Goals 6.3-6.6.

Moderator: Piet Klop, Senior Advisor Responsible Investment, PGGM Investments

Introduction by: Pritha Hariram, Water and Sanitation Specialist (Project Development & Financing), FMO-Dutch Development Bank

Amsterdam Agreement: FMO – NWP developing and financing international water initiatives

Various finance institutions with an ambition to finance water related projects and initiatives, seem to struggle to fill their pipeline. There appears to be no lack of money, but a lack of bankable projects. Is that true and if so, what are the underlying factors contributing to that? And how can they be overcome? To address among others these questions, in 2017-2018, FMO and NWP jointly undertook a market analysis of financing needs of the (Dutch) water sector with respect to international water projects and programs. The analysis sheds light on the bottlenecks experienced by the Dutch water sector when it comes to their international positioning and ability to forge collaborations and win contracts. It also gives suggestions on how these challenges can be overcome (in both developing nations, emerging markets and developed nations).

Key findings of the study will be presented and discussed, with the objective to inform and engage:
– Financial sector looking to invest in Dutch water sector (development and commercial banks; pension funds; insurance funds)
– Dutch water sector (contractors; technology providers and water service providers)

Moderator: Jantienne van der Meij-Kranendonk, Liaison Officer, WaterCampus
Introduction by: Marcel Paalman, Senior Scientific Researcher, KWR

Amsterdam Agreement: Water in the Circular Economy (WICE)

Join us in the discussion about targets on water quality in the entire water cycle with an emphasis on micro pollutants, such as pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, micro and Nano plastics, personal care products and industrial pollutants as GenX and PFAS. The question raises if this problem needs to be addressed by the water sector alone or rather include actors in a chain approach on catchment level. And who will take control of such a chain approach. We will address issues on the Water Framework Directive and the need whether to include standards for these pollutants in the revision of the Drinking Water Directive, or to apply a risk based approach including the whole water cycle.

Moderator: Geoff Gage, Managing Partner, Amane Advisors Ltd
Introduction by: Koen Verberne, Founder 52Impact

Take a seat at this roundtable and discuss with us new ICT and data solutions for water management. The opportunities to combine different data sources, from multiple sensors and measurement types, and the impact on future reconcile data and water dynamics models. Digital solutions relevant for the water sector and challenges in adaptation and how to overcome will be discussed.

Moderator: Mark van Loosdrecht, Chair Professor in Environmental Biotechnology, TU Delft

Introduction by: Arjen van Nieuwenhuijzen, ReCirc Consortium, Jos Boere, Director Allied Waters

Amsterdam Agreement: Allied Waters, AquaMinerals and KWR: Upscale water resource recovery

With a growing demand for measuring and monitoring and the opportunities of resource recovery that enables bulk production to high value products from waste at this table we will highlight new services that bring new business models. Circulair Economy 2.0 discussing the value pyramid.

Moderator: Gerhard van den Top, Chair Dutch Water Authority Amstel, Gooi & Vecht

Introduction by: Carolien Gehrels, European Director Big Urban Clients, Arcadis & Human Cities Coalition (TBC)

Amsterdam Agreement: Human Cities Coalition

This session will discuss next generation green flood inundation maps and resilient critical infrastructures and aligning (urban) objectives. Protect existing infrastructure and other capital and social assets by building resilient and blue-green solutions to extreme events and projected climate change and increased variability.

Moderator: Henk Jan Top, Senior Manager, Accenture

Introduction by: Roelof Kruize, CEO Waternet & Cooperation Water Utilities of the world, Jörg Simon, Chairman-Management Board / CEO, Berliner Wasserbetriebe and Jean-Pierre Tabuchi, Direction de la Stratégie Territoriale SIAAP

Amsterdam Agreements: NY Environmental Protection and Waternet and HOFOR Copenhagen and Waternet

To find out how to overcome the main challenges found at water systems, at this roundtable we will discuss the importance of data, insight, benchmarking, stakeholders and collaboration. We will discuss the contours of a data sharing platform that uses the overlapping variables of different water systems to identify opportunities to collaborate and share solutions.

Moderator: Jacqueline Barendse, Independent

Introductions by: Sjef Ernes, Aqua4All (ViaWater Programme) and Joseph Murabula, CEO Kenya Innovative Finance Facility for Water (KIFFWA)

The total global investment requirement for water infrastructure until 2030 is estimated to be $7,500 billion until 2030. Only $6,300 billion is projected to be available, leaving a financing gap of $1,200 billion. Attracting private sources of finance is pivotal for realizing the needed interventions.

In this session, we focus on two concrete examples – Via Water and the Kenya Innovative Finance Facility for Water (KIFFWA) – where a blend of public and private finance is being used to scale innovation on the African continent. Both initiatives support water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) innovations in an early project development stage, helping ideas come to fruition with the right mix of technical assistance and financial engineering.

In both initiatives, city, water utility and/or industry case owners are teaming up with partners to work on the implementation of solutions. Projects are carefully screened, partners and co-developers carefully selected and potential investors involved from a very early stage to increase eventual bankability of projects. How can these initiatives be scaled? And how applicable are these models in other countries? Project owners of Via Water and KIFFWA will openly share their experiences and lessons learned, providing insight in how partnerships are being constructed and which future connections are necessary for upscaling. It will give you a unique opportunity to take a look behind the scene of two powerful incubators.

Moderator: Gaetano Casale, Liaison Office Manager, IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education

Introduction by: Kees van Leeuwen, Principal Scientist, KWR

Join us in the discussion of the development of an appropriate and applicable Index that can be used in conjunction with the sustainable development goals and the City Blueprint Approach. We will focus on ‘connecting benchmarks’ like; the City index, CDP Water Disclosure, the European Benchmarking Organization; Utilities of the World and IWA benchmarking. The optimal indicators to characterize water management on a national scale, around the world.

Moderator: Natasja van den Berg

In the first part of the closing session we will look back on the Summit – we will collect and discuss the results of the day. These results, the Rotterdam recommendations, will set the priorities and focus areas for the AIWW Conference 2019. Panel members will reflect on the recommendations from the perspective of the industry, cities, utilities, research and finance.

In the second part of the closing we will discuss the roadmap of global cooperation to achieve a global water agenda. Is it possible to realize a global water community of influencers which can be supported by international events, communities and organizations? Who do we need? What is necessary to achieve this?

Panel discussion – Rotterdam Recommendations for AIWW 2019 – Theatre
• Piotr Czarnocki, Head of Unit, Department of Sustainable Development and International Cooperation, Ministry of the Environment, Poland
• Henk Ovink, Special Envoy International Water Affairs, Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Mark van Loosdrecht, Chair Professor in Environmental Biotechnology, TU Delft
• Christopher Gasson, Owner Global Water Intelligence
• Lykke Leonardsen, Head of program for Resilient and Sustainable City Solutions at City of Copenhagen
• Johan Verlinde, Program manager Climate Adaptation

• Diana d’Arras, President, International Water Association (IWA)
• Bernard Tan, Managing Director Singapore International Water Week
• Representative of Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
• Roelof Kruize, Managing Board Amsterdam International Water Week

Presenting of AIWW supporting organisations and sponsors