WEC calls for stronger cooperation between government and industry at the World Congress on Water, Climate and Energy

 

 

Addressing the World Congress on Water, Climate and Energy in Dublin, Ireland, on 17 May, Einari Kisel, the World Energy Council's (WEC) Senior Fellow for European Policies and Partnership Development, emphasised the need for stronger co-operation between governments and businesses to tackle the energy for water challenge.

"Population growth has put pressure on water supplies in many regions of the world. The energy community is taking the water challenge very seriously, and we recognise that there is also a need for stronger co-operation between governments and the energy and water sectors," Kisel said.

In a keynote speech, Kisel spoke about the WEC's programmes, studies, and dialogue events, and highlighted the WEC's efforts in facilitating collaboration between the water and energy sectors through its recently announced partnership with the World Water Council.

 

 

 

In his remarks Kisel drew heavily from the WEC's report Water for Energy. The report finds that while today's water supply is sufficient for the water needs for energy production and conversion, other uses - especially agriculture - are putting ever greater pressure on the water system. Unconventional sources of energy (e.g. oil sands, oil shale, and deep gas shale) also require large amounts of water, further stressing current and projected systems.

The report concludes that many existing and new technologies look promising for making water more available and its use more efficient. Therefore policymakers must try to accelerate their entry and their benefits into common use.

Kisel said the report is valuable because it has "identified the magnitude of the issue for different regions in the coming decades."

The World Congress on Water, Climate and Energy was held on 13-18 May. It was organised by the International Water Association.