Water and Society 2013

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2nd International Conference on Water and Society 4 - 6 September, 2013 New Forest, UK

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 Introduction

Following the success of the first International Conference on Water and Society held in Las Vegas in 2011, it has been decided to reconvene the meeting in the New Forest, UK, a National Park where the Wessex Institute of Technology campus is located.
The conference provides a multi-disciplinary forum for the presentation and discussion of many issues affecting water resources today. The importance of water and its impact on civilisation and mankind are widely recognised. Issues regarding quality, quantity and technology associated with water are quickly becoming acknowledged as impending major issues that will require global involvement and financial support. Aside from mankind's reliance upon water for survival, water touches many different topics and industries.
Mankind has tacitly assumed over the centuries that water is readily available, inexpensive and plentiful. However, more recent times have shown that the abundance of clean, unlimited supplies of inexpensive water is quickly becoming a myth. There is mounting pressure worldwide to develop new strategies and methods to meet the growing demands of water to just maintain our current standards of living. Costs continue to spiral upwards as more demands are made on our available water supplies. In many less developed parts of the world, water is a daily life and death struggle. As developing countries continue to grow and expand, industrialisation and improved standards of living are putting increased demands on water.

Delegates attending Water and Society 2013 will be invited to submit an extended version of their paper for possible publication in the International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, one of the Journals edited by the Wessex Institute.

Within the US and most of Europe, ageing infrastructure in water distribution systems and hardware has begun to become problematic, resulting in decreasing access to clean, affordable water. Pollution has also become a serious issue. In many older and larger cities throughout the world, sewer collapses occur routinely and significant quantities of treated water are lost in leakage. Water extracted from aquifers and wells is beginning to dry up, and new locations are now being sought. In some areas, where the population is increasing, desalination - once considered too costly to use - is now the only current option in the foreseeable future for meeting projected water demands.
Policy makers need to be educated and advised on developing policies and regulations that will support the water systems of tomorrow. The role of society and its involvement with water is paramount. To meet the future demands for water, new standards, new training and additional support roles will best be delivered by those knowledgeable of the technology and direction of the industry.
This meeting will encourage trans-disciplinary communication on issues related to the nature of water, and its use and exploitation by society. The conference is motivated by the need to bridge the gap between the broad spectrum of social political sciences and humanistic disciplines and specialists in physical sciences, biology, environmental sciences and health, among others.

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