Nominations Sought for 2004 Stockholm Water Prize

Nominations for the 2004 Stockholm Water Prize -- the leading international award for excellence in water action, water awareness building, water management or water science -- will be accepted by the Stockholm Water Foundation until September 30, 2003. The Prize is presented annually to an individual, institution, organization or company and recognizes outstanding research, action or education that increases knowledge of water as a resource and protects its usability for all life.

For more information, contact:
Ms. Gunnel Sundbom
Deputy Executive Director,
Manager Stockholm Water Prize
Email: gunnel.sundbom@siwi.org.
Web: http://www.siwi.org.

Upcoming conferences of interest / calls for papers

Sixth Water Information Summit 2003: Breaking the barriers: Let water information flow!
9-12 September 2003
Delft, Netherlands

This four-day Summit will discuss the state of the art and trends in the use of web-based technologies and partnerships to strengthen regional and global water resources communities and information networks. Topics include (among others):

• knowledge gap in the water sector
• future of water portals
• gender/community dimensions of information sharing
• knowledge management practice

In addition, from 15-17 September 2003, a 3-1/2 day workshop for approximately 20-25 participants in association with the Summit. The workshop will focus on the practical use of knowledge management (KM) for improved water resources management (WRM). By the end of the workshop participants will be able to come up with solutions to knowledge transfer problems they have identified within their own organizations and WRM partnerships. Each participant will develop an action plan to achieve at least one substantive KM improvement in his or her organization within 100 days. Requests for application forms to be filled in for the workshop may be emailed to the address below.

For more information, contact:
Ms. Ingeborg Krukkert, IRC
Email: wis6delft@irc.nl
Web: http://www.irc.nl/wis6

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I Congreso Internacional de Bosques Secos (1st International Congress on Dry Forests)
6-9 November 2003
Piura, Peru

The purpose of this congress is to provide a forum for all researchers and others interested in dry forests to share their experience and knowledge on topics such as:

• Conservation
• Genus Prosopis
• Local technology
• Forstry
• Climate change and carbon capture
• Environmental education
• Gender issues

For further information, contact:

Biol. Luis Alban C.
Unidad de Proyectos Ambientales
Universidad de Piura
Av. Ramon Mugica 131
Piura, PERU
Email: lalban@udep.edu.pe
Web: http://www.congresointernacionalbosquessecos.com (Note: web site is in Spanish.)

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Sustainable Dryland Agriculture Systems
2-5 December 2003
Niamey, NIGER

Most of the world's populated drylands are undergoing a continuous process of land degradation (desertification) that many attribute to non-sustainable agricultural practices. The ICRISAT Sahelian Center/Niger (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics) and IPALAC (International Program for Arid Land Crops) are organizing an International Symposium to seek answers to the question:

"Are there sustainable rain-fed farming systems in semiarid lands?"

The symposium will feature presentations on agro-ecological production systems in areas where farmers strive to meet almost all family needs from small parcels of land in low rainfall regions. Following the presentations, a roundtable will try to synthesize the various approaches presented into principles for sustainable dryland agriculture. Languages of the symposium will be English and French. Parties interested in making a presentation should submit an abstract (not more that one page) to the Symposium Secretary by 15 September 2003.

For more information, contact:
Mr. Arnie Schlissel, Secretary, IPALAC
Fax: 972 647 2984
Email: ipalac@bgumail.bgu.ac.il

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First Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Forum
New date: 18-22 March 2004
Dakar, SENEGAL

The objectives of this forum are:

• To draw lessons on how successful water, sanitation and hygiene programs, sector reforms and development partnerships are leading to the eradication of poverty; and
• To strengthen regional and national partnership initiatives aimed at attaining the goals of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The forum will be divided into three parts:

1. Creating an enabling environment to fight poverty and promote sanitation and hygiene;
2. Strengthening regional and national initiatives in watter supply, sanitation and hygiene; and
3. Meeting the goals of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

For more information, contact:

Forum Manager
Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC)
Email: wsscc@who.int
Web: http://www.wsscc.org/load.cfm?edit_id=332