BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues

WASSER BERLIN INTERNATIONAL 2017 BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues: Wastewater – the Untapped Resource         Keynote speeches by Permanent Secretary Adler of the BMUB and Prof. Uhlenbrook, coordinator of the World Water Assessment Programme of UNESCO Berlin, 18 January 2017 – Water is not only important ecologically and economically, but particularly at international level has increasingly taken on a political role too. At the forthcoming edition of WASSER BERLIN INTERNATIONAL the BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues will place the spotlight on resource efficiency where wastewater is concerned. Taking its inspiration from the World Water Day, the event bears the slogan of ’Wastewater – the Untapped Resource’ and will be held on Thursday, 30 March from 9.30 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. at the Experts Forum in Hall 4.2 The event is organised by the German Water Partnership. It is sponsored by theFederal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety(BMUB), the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises and Messe Berlin. Exploiting wastewater as a resource Making sustainable economics work is one of the key challenges of the twenty-first century. The paradigm shift in waste management towards exploiting a potential resource has long since reached the water industry. Industrial and household wastewater offers considerable possibilities, for instance as a source of energy and nutrients In his keynote speech Gunther Adler, Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, will explain the latest developments and challenges in this important field and examine the necessary conditions for successfully exploiting wastewater. Afterwards, Prof. Dr. Stefan Uhlenbrook, coordinator of the World Water Assessment Programme of UNESCO, will present the World Water Development Report 2017, which dwells on this topic, and discuss it with experts at the subsequent debate. At the next event representatives of companies and research institutions will report on their practical experiences and the latest technological advances. Thursday, 30 March 2017, 9.30 a.m. – 2.00 p.m. 09.30 –  09.40 a.m.: Welcome speechPermanent Secretary Christian Rickerts, Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, Berlin 09.40 – 10.00 a.m.: Resource efficiency in water management – a report on achieving sustainability goals Gunther Adler, Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) 10.00 – 10.20 a.m.: Wastewater – the Untapped Resource: the World Water Development Report 2017  Prof. Dr. Stefan Uhlenbrook, World Water Assessment Programme, UNESCO 10.20 – 11.30 a.m.: Wastewater – the Untapped Resource – Prospects, conditions for success and limits to exploiting wastewater as a resource Discussion round with selected experts 12.00 noon – 1.30 p.m.: Wastewater – the Untapped Resource: Practical examples and innovations Brief presentations by companies and research institutions, followed by a discussion 1.30 – 1.50 p.m.: Closing speech 1.50 – 2.00 p.m.: Summary and conclusions About WASSER BERLIN INTERNATIONAL Wasser Berlin International is Germany's international marketing platform devoted to the topic of water where trade visitors can find products, services and solutions from every part of the water industry. The Wasser Berlin International Congress is in the format of an enclosed hall forum and an integral part of the fair. In 2015 Wasser Berlin International was held on a display area covering 36,000 square metres. 557 exhibitors from 26 countries were represented in Berlin, of whom 118 came from abroad. 22,686 trade visitors from 104 countries attended Wasser Berlin International 2015. The next event will take place from 28 to 31 March 2017 www.messe-berlin.com Twitter: @pr_messeberlin Additional information www.wasser-berlin.com