Interdisciplinary Water Symposium and Call for Action

We were very pleased to welcome many participants from the various sectors, representing academia, the public and private sector, water utilities as well as civil society. They all found their way to Rapperswil to reflect on the challenges around water in Switzerland and globally, possible solutions and the importance of partnerships to achieve them.

The symposium started in an unusual way: with a joint dip in Lake Zurich under the guidance of Ernst Bromeis, from Das Blaue Wunder, initiator of the World water Library in Reichenau. After connecting with the element water in a very direct and personal way, the symposium was officially opened by André Podleisek, Sustainability Officer at OST, recalling one of the global challenges: “In Switzerland, we consume around 4,200 liters of water per person every day – most of it indirectly through the consumption of goods whose production requires a lot of water and often takes place in water-poor regions in the Global South”.

The city councillors of Rapperswil-Jona, Luca Eberle, and St. Gallen, Peter Jans, as well as Martin Kurt from the water utility Rapperswil-Jona, emphasized the immense value of water – at the very low cost of only a couple of cents per liter in Switzerland. A huge privilege, we tend to take for granted here.

 

The water challenges: Too little, too much, too dirty, at the wrong time, in poor quality

Key notes from Rolf Meier, Vice director and head of division water of SVGW (Fachverband für Wasser, Gas und Wärme, Professional association for water, gas and heat) and Daniel Maselli, water policy advisor at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC allowed us to dive deeper into the current challenges, we are facing: climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution. In Switzerland we see the effects for example in the receding glaciers: Since 1850, we have already lost two thirds of glacier mass, our natural reservoirs of drinking water, leading to water shortages in prolonged dry periods. At the same time, heavy rainfall causes damages and pollution. A big concern are also various pollutants, e.g. so-called forever chemicals that are nowadays found even in the remotest places. To sum up: There is either too much water, too little, at the wrong time or in poor quality. Globally, these effects are even more pronounced and immediate and increased efforts are needed. The recognition of the water cycle as a public good on an international level would be an important signal and step in the right direction. However, for this to be come reality a lot of political, economic and legal obstacles need to be overcome and it is still a long way to to, in particular in light of the current global situation. All the more important that each and everyone is doing their part in protecting the precious resource water. 

These points were also taken up in the panel discussion, presenting potential solutions: Carlo Scapozza, Head of the Department of Hydrology at the Federal Office of the Environment (BAFU) and Heinrich Vettiger, member of the city council of Wetzikon, were emphazising the need for long term planning of water usage on the basis of data provided by federal offices. Academic institutions generate such data, said Christian Stamm,Vice Director of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), which had warned already 20 years ago that the available water resources are dwindling. Yet this information needs to be communicated effectively and taken up by policy makers. Lukas Kirchner, Director of Agridea, mentioned the potential of agricultural production to protect the water resources by using practices that favor water retention in the soil and vegetation and reduce pollution through excess nutrients and chemicals. Also the private sector has a role to play, e.g. with water-conscious value chains  and production or offering services, which tackle environmental issues such as climate change, suggested  Johannes Heeb, Senior Partner at seecon international and Co-Chair of the Swiss Water Partnership and Christina Mallin, Waterlead at South Pole. It is important to recognize the global interconnections and to acknowledge our moral obligation that comes with our immense consumption of virtual water, stated Karla Schlie, project manager at Skat Foundation. We need to re-think our consumption patterns and show solidarity through international development collaboration, assuring that water security and the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation can be enjoyed by everyone. An important catalyst in all these solutions are young people, who bring creativity, time and motivation to the table, said Delphine Magara, Focal Point Youth of the Swiss Water Partnership, and urged all stakeholder to invest in Youth. 

 

Bringing stakeholders togehter for a joint Call for Action

Following the the panel discussion, four parallel sessions further explored the role of the various sector actors with concrete examples and in exchange with the participants: The session on public partnerships was hosted by Blue Community, with inputs by the the cities of Zurich, Lausanne and Lugano showing how solidarity can be put into action through partnerships with their counterparts in Ukraine, Mauritania and Ethiopia, respectively. In the private sector session, representatives from South Pole, GWF AG, Katadyn Group Switzerland and  hydrosolutions discussed the role and responsibilities of the private sector in terms of water usage and in offering products and services that contribute to the objectives of SDG 6. Reflecting on the role of the civil society, Helvetas, HEKS, Skat Foundation and FHNW gave examples of equal partnerships of NGOs with universities, local water utilities, communities, authorities and private sector/local start-ups in order to strengten the local system actors to provide access to safe drinking water and sanitation. KFPE, Ostschweizer Fachhochschule OST and Geneva Water Hub presented their activities and illustrated the benefits of academic partnerships for capacity building.

Taking all of these inputs and discussion into account, a joint Call for Action was drafted. Please share it widely!

During the break and the Apéro riche in the evening, the participants had the opportunity to visit the so-called Blue Market, with stands by Ostschweizer Fachhochschule OST, Aquafides, WATALUX, RANAS, Katadyn Group Switzerland, GWF AG, Geneva Water Hub, Stadtwerke Wetzikon, Kompotoi and the Swiss Water Partnership.

 

Thank you

We sincerely thank everyone that participated at the Symposium and contributed to the discussion!
We are also grateful for the support of the following institutions, making this event possible:

• Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
• GWF AG
• Katadyn Group Switzerland
• St. Galler Stadtwerke
• Cantonal Office for Water and Energy of St. Gallen
• Urimat
• SVGW
• VSA
• University of St. Gallen