Clean Water

Keynote: Charles O'Melia, Abel Wolman Professor of Environmental Engineering Emeritus, Johns Hopkins University

All of life is based upon water. Insufficient clean water leads to more deaths per year than war. While there is plenty of water in the world, the problem is that either water is not where it is needed or it is not clean or fit for human use.

Further, we need relatively little water for drinking and personal use, but use massive quantities for agriculture and industry. “Overcoming the crisis in water and sanitation is one of the greatest human development challenges of the early 21st century,” a recent U.N. report warns.

Understanding water in the context of health, the current energy concerns, and life in urban environments is vital.