Launch Workshop of the Regional Knowledge Hub for Groundwater Management

Bangkok, Thailand : 2 June 2011 - 3 June 2011

Background

Since its approval as a regional water KnowledgeHub for groundwater management of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum in June 2009, IGES is striving to expand its groundwater knowledge base and networking with partners and stakeholders who are directly or indirectly involved in sustainable groundwater management.

IGES has gained a lot of experiences in this limited time through various KnowledgeHub activities, engagement in groundwater dialogues and networking opportunities with its expanding list of clients and partners such in the Asia-Pacific region. Planning Meeting of KnowledgeHub for Groundwater Management organized during the IGES annual event, ISAP2010. More is still needed to accomplish the vision and mission of the KnowledgeHub and it is timely to hold a launch for APWF regional water KnowledgeHub for Groundwater Management with theme “Bringing Groundwater Agenda on the Surface.”

It is a widely recognized that role and services provided by groundwater to fulfill the growing water needs is not well appreciated by concerned stakeholders. Where awareness about groundwater is growing there are already numerous technical and management complexities prevalent across the region. More efforts are required to make groundwater issues more visible among water resource managers, planners, policy makers, stakeholders and end-users, if one aspires to continue the benefits from this important resource.

Especially, there is urgent need to protect and preserve the strategic importance of groundwater resources across the region to safeguard livelihood from looming water crisis and enhance water security. Unless opportunities and threats on groundwater are raised to the surface for discussions and debate, management of this hidden resource will not be effective. The launch meeting will be a milestone to bring groundwater specialist, managers, planners and key stakeholders to discuss and explore strategies for highlighting groundwater agenda and prioritize future directions of the KnowledgeHub in order to play leading role to coordinate and collaborate on groundwater issues in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

Objectives

  • Discuss and explore ways to highlight and prioritize groundwater issues on main water agenda and identify feasible actions for sustainable development of groundwater resources
  • Clarify importance of groundwater in the time of global change to address food and water security and suggest ways to safeguard its strategic resource value from emerging challenges
  • Facilitate partnership with clients, partners and relevant organization working in the field of groundwater and dig into opportunities to synergize efforts being taken in different corners of the region

Organizers

The workshop is being organized by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), co-organized by the Department of Groundwater Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), and supported by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and ADB.

Participants

Government officials working for groundwater management in the Asia-Pacific region, water experts from Knowledgehub partners, and representatives from ADB and partner organizations will participate.

Venue

Athénée Crystal Hall A
Plaza Athenee Bangkok, A Royal Meridien Hotel
61 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand