Panels' conveners: Aquafed and ICLEI
Date: 15 January 2014 Time: 09:30-13:00:

Water-energy nexus issues have drawn increasing attention because the scarcity and environmental impact of those resources are compounding each other and the nexus, if managed well, could create multiple benefits and tremendous opportunities to save resources, sustain ecosystem services and contribute to sustainable development in general.

In cities, water utilities and local authorities have been partnering with other actors to improve water end energy efficiency, sustainability and access moving beyond the traditional mandate of specialized departments or organizations. There is often little or no incentive to initiate and pursue coordination or integration in implementation to achieve the above goals.

In the case of Local Authorities these need to take steps to identify and overcome the barriers that exist between their domains, together with consumers and providers of technology.

There are good practices deployed, experiences and lessons accumulated and in some cases partnerships forged. It is, however, not always easy to communicate the evidence on how an increased level of collaboration and coordination would produce favorable outcomes of improving the efficiency and sustainability of water and energy use and finding win–win options for resource efficiency and environmental sustainability.

• The session focus on demonstrating what are the difficulties for improved coordination between water and energy utilities and show cases where collaboration has helped achieve greater economic and social impacts.
• The session focuses on demonstrating how improved coordination between public authorities and relevant stakeholders at sub-national level can achieve greater economic and social impacts.
• The session will allow participants to share their work and experiences and strengthen partnerships for securing water for energy and energy for water, improved efficiency and sustainability.

• What are the water needs for Energy and the Energy needs for Water in Utilities? How are utilities dealing with energy and water uncertainty in the future?
• What are the key similarities between water & energy utilities? What are the key differences? What are the shared Issues
• Are partnerships common among water and energy utilities? What are the main experiences of water and energy utilities collaborating and what are the lessons learnt in this regard?
• What has been the role of Local – and other Sub-national - Governments partnering with relevant stakeholders to tackle the W&E nexus?
• How can Local – and other Sub-national - Governments enhance implementation of W&E measures to improve efficiency, sustainability and access?

• 09:30-11:00 Panel 1 Partnerships between water and energy utilities
  Convened by Aquafed

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  09:30-10:00 Overview: Water and energy utilities Partnerships. Jack Moss, Aquafed.
  10:00-10:30 Panel Discussion moderated by Jack Moss
  • Sahil Chadli, Director of INDH-INMDE. Water, energy, wastewater & waste in Casablanca. Synergies and challenges in the multi-service contract for the City of Casablanca, Morocco; challenges faced in cooperating for devising and implementing a pro-poor approach in a rapidly developing city environment.
  • Dominique Gatel, Veolia Water. Operational Water & Energy efficiency. Recent developments in technologies and management approaches that seek to develop the water-energy nexus in municipal and industrial water and wastewater management. Partners and challenges for cooperation.
  • Fernando Arlandis, Canal Gestión Madrid Water Company. Relations with energy utilities in integrated management of water and energy in Madrid.
• 10:30-11:00 Open discussion, and conclusion

• 11:30-13:00 Panel 2 Partnerships of Local and Sub national authorities with other actors
  Convened by ICLEI

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  11:30-12:00: Overview: Partnerships between local authorities and other actors. Barbara Anton, ICLEI
  12:00-12:30 Panel Discussion moderated by Barbara Anton
  • Hongpeng Liu, Chief of Energy Security and Water Resources Section, Environment and Development Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
    Pro-poor public private partnership (5P) cooperation built on the expertise of each partner that best meets clearly defined public and community needs through the appropriate allocations of resources, risks and rewards.
  • Victor Viñuales (ECODES) and Jeronimo Blasco/Javier Celma (Municipality of Zaragoza). Promotion of the adoption of water and energy efficient technologies and practices by households, SMEs and Local Authorities in cities.
  • Alice Bouman, President of Women for Water Partnership,Partnership experiences involving women in communities for improving access to water considering energy efficiency.
12:30-13:00: Open discussion, and conclusion