Organizers: French Water Partnership ; Partners for Water – Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)
Intervening Organizations : Fiji’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change ; Government of France ; Martinique’s Water Office ; BRGM ; Pacific Islands Development Forum ; Stockholm Environment Institute ; Deltares ; Partners for Water – Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) ; French Water Partnership
Date & Time: Wednesday 11 June – 12:15-13:30
Location: Room 4
Side Event Description
This session will delve into the pressing challenges of island freshwater management – from scarce resources to seawater intrusion – hindering water quality and coastal resilience. From source to sea, it will unpack scientific gaps and pioneer integrated solutions at the crossroads of freshwater and ocean health. The discussion will bring to light international Communities of Practice and strategic alliances driving collaboration among island stakeholders, advancing sustainable fresh- and seawater management pathways while informing global policy frameworks.
Speakers :
- Sivendra Michael, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Fiji
- Barbara Pompili, France’s Ambassador for the Environment – Government of France, and former Minister of Ecological Transition
- Marie-Laure Vercambre, Director General – French Water Partnership (moderator)
- Liliane Geerling, Programme Coordinator – Partners for Water/Netherlands Enterprise Agency
- Arpana Pratap, Director of the Blue Economy Department – Pacific Islands Development Forum
- Gaëlle Hielard, Project Lead for Basin Policies and Regional Cooperation – Martinique’s Water Office
- Ariane Blum, Water Director – BRGM
- Karina Barquet, Head of the Water, Coasts and Ocean team – Stockholm Environment Institute
- Myra van der Meulen, expert advisor ecology and climate, representing the IPDC project from Deltares
Ocean Voluntary Commitment
The Pacific Islands Development Forum will announce the establishment of the Sustainable Blue Economy Cooperation Center and the hosting of the second Pacific Blue Economy Conference. This session aims to foster new partnerships that will feed into these initiatives, which will be registered in the Voluntary Ocean Commitments database, with a view to strengthening blue economies across island societies.
Link to the Concept Note: Island Waterscapes_Concept Note