Photos: Flavio Emanuel
It was while sailing along the Amazon River, one of the country's main freshwater basins, that representatives of civil society and the private sector discussed water security and the challenges of how climate change can affect the population for three days, between June 29 and July 1, in light of a challenging scenario: by 2030, if nothing is done, two out of every three people will not have access to water. Held by boat between Manaus and Parintins, in the Amazonas state, the Global Water Summit aims to contribute to the construction of the agenda of 8th World Water Forum, which will take place in March 2018 in Brasília.
The Parintins Charter will address a series of demands and suggestions, such as the need for a dialogue focused on action, and without individual protagonism, but rather collective, with integrated and intersectoral thinking. The event was held by Coca-Cola Brazil in partnership with the Sustainability Focus Group of the 8th World Water Forum, under the leadership of CEBDS It is WWF Global.
The dialogue panels brought together representatives from several Brazilian and international entities that work on the topic of water, bringing together the private sector and civil society. The discussions were based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN), especially SDG 6+, which specifically addresses water and sanitation for all.
The organizers' assessment
It was very inspiring to hear all the discussions we had over these three days. We know that it is through dialogue that we evolve our strategies. This has been a constant for Coca-Cola Brazil. Our role, as industry leaders, is to start listening and calling on the industry and other partners. We are convinced that it is the role of companies to act beyond regulatory frameworks and laws,” said Henrique Braun, president of Coca-Cola Brazil.
“We want to make the issue of water a high priority, taking it to a level similar to that of climate change discussions. We must always seek new ways and solutions that help us raise awareness, engage and mobilize society, governments and companies for this agenda. Water is essential and without it we have nothing in this world. The Forum in Brazil will be the opportunity for us to bring together a series of stakeholders at different levels. Our challenge is to be able to promote this single agenda, with convergent objectives, for the benefit of all,” said Karen Krchnak, director of the World Wide Fund for Nature, and member of the Board of the World Water Forum.
“The partnership between the Coca-Cola Brazil and the CEBDS The decision to hold the Global Water Summit was innovative and very important for the development of the World Water Forum agenda. During these three days of meetings, we had the opportunity to talk about and debate relevant and fundamental topics for the development of the agenda. We brought together representatives from the private sector and civil society in an open dialogue. We were able to experience this in an environment conducive to reflection and discussion. In the end, we created consensus and pointed out paths. Brazil is very relevant when it comes to water, but we need to take action,” highlighted Marina Grossi, president of the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS).
“Water is a priority issue for the sustainability of our business and for the planet. Without water, there is no life and no business. Throughout our history and our relationship with water resources, we have been able to refine our strategy and evolve in our role through dialogues with civil society. Now we are going further, enabling access to drinking water for communities through our Água+Acesso platform. On this path, dialogue with civil society has always been the turning point. The Global Water Summit is another step. We want to use the forum’s momentum to accelerate this agenda,” explained Pedro Massa, Director of Shared Value at Coca-Cola Brazil.
The Global Water Summit panels
In the first panel, which brought the debate “Water for all – ensuring safety and biodiversity”. Alan Bojanic, from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), when speaking about water resource efficiency and the need for innovative solutions in food production, recalled that agriculture currently consumes 70% of water. “We need more creativity in irrigation systems, for example. Israel has examples of good practices,” he said.
Telma Rocha, from the Avina Foundation, brought the discussion from the perspective of footpeople. “The basis of the work is to be involved in processes that involve people, whether they are access or public policies. Those who have access today have no guarantee that they will have access tomorrow. Information is essential in this journey,” she assured. Pedro Massa, from Coca-Cola Brazil, brought the experience of the company that, through dialogue, understood that it needed to go beyond walls. “We changed the way we approach the issue of water and embraced dialogue, which made us evolve a lot in the way we deal with this issue and to be where we are today. Our evolution is of the private initiative as a whole – not only for our products, but also for the inputs we buy for production. Water is essential for our business,” he said.
For Samuel Barreto, representative of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the main challenge is the climate issue. “We need to review our working relationships in our generation to be able to address the climate issue. We need to develop new skills and this requires quick solutions. The impact horizon is 15 years from now. If we fail to stabilize the climate, we could jeopardize other efforts,” he warned. Barreto also took the initiative to propose the creation of a summit within the UN to address water and discuss commitments that monitor the issue and culminate in effective actions. The idea was embraced by all participants.
How to include the issue of water on the agenda of governments and private enterprise, in addition to creating a legacy, was the core of the discussion on the panel “Water forever – building the future”. Tatiana Fedotova, water director of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), noted that there is no more time for new discussions. She also highlighted the importance of communication and improving transparency and the language of information. “There is a lack of unity among water professionals, which is a challenge for commitments. It is not about reinventing anything new, but empowering all entities that already work on the topic,” she pointed out.
One of the biggest challenges is the efficient use of water in agricultural production, as highlighted by Rafael Pizzi, director of Agrosmart startup. He presented a case study that uses data to help rural producers make decisions and adopt better irrigation practices, avoiding waste. “There is a lack of knowledge about the best ways to irrigate, including on the part of large producers. We do not have much investment in irrigation technology in Brazil. This is a challenge that needs to be overcome,” he said. Hugo Flores, representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and Perpétuo Cajazeiras, from Banco do Nordeste (BNB), gave presentations on policies for investing resources in water projects.
At the end of the meeting, Marina Grossi, from CEBDS, led the roundtable discussion with Karin Krchnak, from WWF, and Marússia Whately, from the Water Alliance. They spoke about expectations, results, inclusion and participation of society in the World Water Forum, as well as impacts, strategies, progress and next steps. “There is a lack of consensus among the different actors working on the water agenda. We know that it is broad and perhaps the most interesting thing would be to choose a focus to do more assertive, monitored work that produces results,” suggested Marina. “We need to think about how to continue what will be discussed at the forum, especially on the issue of governance, involving companies and governments. We will propose a letter of commitment from companies to reach a new level. We need to make this a more virtuous movement.”
Marussia recalled that, in the last 20 years, the issue of water has gained a new dimension and has become an emerging issue. “The water crisis has left the category of an environmental problem and entered that of a global challenge for society. gap “The management system in Brazil is immense in dealing with problems such as scarcity. Governance is very complex, involving several government spheres, as well as several institutions, which makes it difficult to understand who actually takes care of water,” she pointed out.
For Karin Krchnak, the forum is an opportunity for companies to engage. “We have a series of challenges for the forum, such as documenting and sharing the solutions that emerge or that will be presented. I see the importance of engaging everyone in collective and regional actions. It is a great time to bring companies together and seek practical and concrete actions. This is the case of Coca-Cola Brazil, which has been a reference for the water agenda and can share its results. Who knows, maybe companies could help finance greater participation by society?” suggested the member of the World Water Forum board.
