MEP Water Group Public Session on the United Nations World Water Development Report 2017 ‘Wastewater: The Untapped Resource

Under the auspices of the EU Maltese presidency, the MEP Water Group in cooperation with the World Water Assessment Programme of UNESCO hosted a successful public session on the 2017 United Nations World Water Development Report “Wastewater: The Untapped Resource'' on the 06th of June at the European Parliament. 

The session chaired by Esther De Lange, MEP Water Group Chair, was opened by the following speakers:

• Giovanni Pugliese, Deputy Permanent Representative at the Italian Permanent Representation to the EU
• Flavia Schlegel, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO
• Edward Vernon, Coordinator, Environment Unit within Malta’s Permanent Representation to the European Union
• Guy Ryder, Chair UN-Water and Director General ILO (via video message) 

With the United Nations World Water Development Report as a departure point, the panel highlighted the importance of wastewater as a valuable resource instead of a costly problem. Guy Ryder, in particular, pointed out that “Wastewater is a valuable resource in a world where water is finite and demand is growing and everyone can play a part to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase safe water reuse by 2030.” He also disclosed the topics of the upcoming UN-Water World Water Development Reports: 2018 on “Nature-based solutions for Water”, 2019 on “No one left behind” (touching upon issues related to migration, human rights, gender equality, traditional knowledge, among others in relation with water resources management) and 2020 on “Climate Change”.