About the Symposium
Many of the anticipated impacts of climate change have severe implications for the region’s water security and overall development and pose significant threats to human health and well-being and the productivity of key economic sectors. The science, research and engineering communities are starting to couple climate predictions with water security, in an effort to understand the extent and nature of the risks these changes pose to regional economies, societies and environments.
Research initiatives are beginning to contribute to the understanding of, and solutions to, the myriad of water challenges facing the region. Whilst these developments in the research and policy communities are starting to advance our understanding, there is a noticeable gap between research outputs, their transposition into the policy domain, and their use and relevance in informing evidence-based decision-making.
The Caribbean Science Symposium on Water is an opportunity to bridge that gap by bringing together representatives from the research, development, economic, legislative and policy communities to share and discuss ideas on ongoing scientific studies and best practices related to enhancing water secure developments and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the Caribbean.
The Symposium seeks to attract high-quality scientific, research, technical and exploratory papers that can offer useful insights into key challenges impacting the access, management, utilisation, and sustainability of water resources and potential solutions. A key feature will be bringing Science and Policy together, to interrogate science outputs from a policy perspective to enhance policy dialogue to inform adaptation "pathways in the water sector."
Symposium Themes
The overarching theme of the Symposium is "Building Resilience in the Regional Water Sector to Address Climatological and Hydrological Risks and Threats." This encompasses a broad range of subject areas and disciplines. It includes questions such as:
- How is science enhancing our understanding of the risks climate change pose to water security in the region?
- Is the application of ICT and big data tools and technological innovation improving research and its application?
- What are the impacts of climate change and variability and associated water scarcity risks for different sectors?
- Can citizen science enhance water-related science and policy?
- In what ways will other health, ecological or economic shocks impact the regional water sector under a changing climate?
- Is research meeting the needs of policy makers and other water sector stakeholders?
- Case studies and best practices that inform future adaptation pathways.
- How are we bridging the Science-Policy divide to build climate resilience and water security?
- Partnerships between academia, policymakers, private and third sector – are they working?
- Is the youth a key driver in building resilience in the water sector through science-based innovative approaches?
Symposium Format
The format is designed to promote dialogue across disciplines and to provide opportunities to explore complementary and/or contrasting views and opinions around the theme of the Symposium. Held over two days there will be a mix of presentations and interactive sessions and opportunities. These will include:
Moderated Presentation Sessions: Grouped by theme, authors will have 10 minutes to present the highlights of their paper and to answer questions from the audience.
Roundtable Discussions: A panel drawn from authors will be invited to share the
relevance of their work and to answer questions put to them by the moderator and the audience. The selection will be based on a review of the papers submitted.
Policy Forum: A moderated, inter-active session to bridge the Science-Policy divide that surfaces and examines the policy dimensions and implications of the papers presented and discussions, asks how key outcomes address the SDGs and the water security challenges facing the Caribbean and how they can be communicated to different audiences.
When, Where & Who
The Symposium is scheduled for the week of March 22nd - 26th, 2021 in the Caribbean.
The Symposium is open to persons from a broad cross-section of disciplines and interests. Disciplines and interests including but not limited to: social sciences, human health, environment and natural resources, economics, management, applied science and technology, engineering, innovators, political economy, and humanities who are active or have an interest in the management of water in its widest sense and in particular in the impacts of climate change and variability.
It will be of interest to early career persons and professionals, policy professionals, those working in regional and international agencies, financial institutions, government and non-governmental organisations, development agencies, education and academia.
Call for Papers Open Now!
The Call for Papers is now open! In this first stage of the submission process, you are invited to submit a 500-word abstract by July 31st, 2020.
A Look at the Full Submission Process
Deadline for submission of abstracts for papers - July 31st, 2020
Notification of acceptance of abstract - August 28th, 2020
Deadline for submission of full paper - December 4th, 2020
Invitation to participate in roundtable discussions - December 18th, 2020
CARIBBEAN SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM ON WATER - Week of March 22nd - 26th, 2020
Post Symposium:
Selection of Papers for Special Edition - April 2nd, 2021
Peer review - April 3rd - 29th, 2021
Invitation to revise papers - April 30th, 2021
Submission of revised papers - June 11th, 2021
Prospective Sponsors and Collaborators
The Caribbean Science Symposium on Water aligns well and supports several recent and ongoing regional initiatives and programmes.
The first of its kind for the Caribbean, it is designed not only to be an opportunity to share research outputs but importantly provide interactive opportunities to bridge the gap between science outputs and policy formulation, and be an arena for exploring the practical and policy implications of these outputs.
Want to be a sponsor and or collaborator?
Find out why you should become a sponsor/collaborator here and learn more about the Symposium's purpose, goals and anticipated outcomes. Download our Prospective Sponsor Brief here.
Questions about the Symposium
You can connect with GWP-C about the Symposium by sending an e-mail to: info@gwp-caribbean.org.