Fourth BiH Congress on Waters
Author(s): Ešref Gačanin, Nataša Stanišić
Date: 13.08.2024.
The Association of Consulting Engineers of Bosnia and Herzegovina (UKI BiH/ ACE BH) is organizing the 4th Congress on waters, to be held in Sarajevo on 19 and 20 November 2024.
A paradigm is a collection of basic assumptions or rules that are the starting point for perceiving reality and its phenomena, and so the paradigm of water management in the EU is going to shift or change starting from this year, 2024. The new key term in water management is being “more water resilient” – meaning increase of flexibility or adaptability to changes, not just in view of the accelerating climate changes, but also the many decades of multidimensional structural flaws. Water as a common vital resource that is passed on from one generation to another is essential for mankind and the environment, as well as for an equitable foundation for economic development. The past several years have seen an increasing frequency and scope of natural disasters such as drought and floods, which are also linked to declining quality of waters and biodiversity.
The Water Framework Directive as primary EU legislation is supported by two daughter directives – on the quality and quantity of groundwater and the quality of surface waters. The floods risk assessment and management under the Floods Directive pertains to human health, the environment, the economy, and cultural heritage. Under way in the EU 27, in each country and the EU as a whole, is evaluation of plans and integration status of water situation management – third cycle, including flood risk management. Significant steps have been taken in Bosnia and Herzegovina, so it would be important for the Congress if all levels of government, the responsible agencies and their collaborators, as well as the academia and the business community were to summarize the achievements made thus far and the problems, particularly with the implementation of the Program of Measures under the Management Plan, as well as ways to solve them.
The Fourth BiH Congress on Waters comes at a time when everyone is expected to become involved in the efforts to improve environmental management, especially management of waters, in order to finally start a new round of development and prosperity of the community.
The following topics will be underlined at the Congress:
- Quantitative and qualitative status of waters and water-dependent ecosystems.
- Climate changes and their impact on the water sector.
- Regulation and use of water and soil.
- Water supply, drainage, and wastewater treatment systems.
- Digital transformation and innovations in the water sector.
- Economic instruments and mechanisms to fund the implementation of the Program of Measures.
- Water policies, education, water economy planning, participation of public, and mutual cooperation in BiH and international cooperation.
Impact on Industry:
Congress will be international in character and will gather experts and scientific workers from different EU regions, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, and government representatives, for the purpose of spreading knowledge and experiences in all aspects of water resources management.
In this way, the industry receives adequate inputs for its own development in line with global trends.
Relevant Links:
https://uki.ba/bih-kongres-o-vodama-19-i-20-novembar-2024-sarajevo/
