Symposium Program
The 2012 WSSS Symposium comprises a full day of events, on Friday, April 27 from 9:15 am to 5 pm, including
See the full Symposium agenda.
2012 Symposium Theme:
The Glass Half Full: Valuing Water in the 21st Century
Water is a necessity for life. This may suggest that there should not be a price for water, because it is theoretically invaluable. Without a measurement for the value of water, however, companies could not conduct benefit-cost analyses for water infrastructure projects, and government institutions and policymakers would not be able to map optimal water allocation schemes within river basins. Water pricing and valuation is an essential measurement standard for engineers, economists, and international policymakers alike to identify the most effective or profitable projects that aim to connect homes to clean drinking water, farmers to reliable irrigation, and industries to cost effective water solutions.
Our conference theme, The Glass Half Full: Valuing Water in the 21st Century, is motivated by the increasing necessity to unify the concept and methodologies of valuing water. The theories and practices of valuing water vary across disciplines, and may depend on different geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors. This requires an equal discussion platform that reaches across a variety of academic disciplines.
Throughout the day of our conference, we will be exploring a variety of water issues that require water valuation, including environmental flows, extreme water events including scarcity and floods, and water quality. How do we reach across disciplines to create a standard for valuing water? Does water valuation help us identify the most cost effective solutions to manage extreme water events in the future? Will water valuation help policymakers identify the optimal solutions to maintaining clean water supply for developed and developing nations? Join us in the discussion!
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