This Floriade Dialogue edition is all about freshwater ecosystems, wetlands and the value for societies and economies. We will discuss the importance of wetlands and forests and their fundamental importance for freshwater resources as they play a distributive and restoring role for nature, agriculture and thus for human kind. Healthy wetlands and forests are essential to delivering a range of global targets, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This edition of Floriade Dialogues is organised in the context of and run-up to World Water Day 2021.
Wetland benefit water infrastructure
Wetlands only cover a small percentage of the earth’s surface, yet they are essential systems – they are the arteries and veins of the landscape. They are a critical part of our natural environment. They act as water sources and purifiers. They protect our shores. They are the planet’s greatest natural carbon stores. They are crucial to agriculture and fisheries. A world without wetlands is a world without water. Besides: wetlands are areas of great natural beauty!
Global Wetland Outlook, a report published in 2018 by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands provides a current overview of global wetlands. Key finding: Wetlands disappear three times faster than forests despite the fact that they are globe’s most carbon-dense ecosystems. Salt marshes, sea grass beds, mangroves and peatlands account for just 3% of the world’s land surface and store twice as much carbon as forests.
Ecosystem deliverables
We can’t neglect that wetlands play a pivotal role in delivering global commitments on climate change, sustainable development and biodiversity. Additionally, there is also a strong connection between food security and healthy ecosystems. By adjusting water and agricultural practices in wetlands and incorporating wetlands in agricultural landscapes, long term food security can be assured and biodiversity enhanced. In other words: ecosystem based adaptation is a crucial solution for intensified water consumption by households, agriculture and energy. By improving water sharing and restoring wetlands, water supplies can be safeguarded.
This Floriade Dialogue Webinar will differ the way we will look at ecosystem-based adaptation measures as cost-effective solutions inspired by nature. The dialogue will show that functioning wetlands are essential to delivering a range of global targets, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Programme:
- 09.45 – 10.00 – Welcome slide and webinar code of conduct
- 10.00 – 10.10 – Opening | Xander de Bruine, Programme Manager Floriade Dialogues
- 10.10 – 10.25 – Wetlands as cost effective investment strategy to increase water security | Speaker: Sander Carpay, Asociate Expert and Urban Resilience Coordinator, Wetlands International, The Netherlands
- 10.25 – 10.40 – Creating ecological landscapes, coherence and benefits with natural processes; “National Parc New Land” | Speaker: Perry Cornelissen, Senior consultant ecology, State Forestry Service, The Netherlands
- 10.40 – 11.00 – Green Infrastructure Master Plan Udon Thani; Urban wetland retention and water resource engineering | Speaker: Ignacio Ortinez, principal of estudioOCA, Thailand
- 11.00 – 11.20 – Panel and Participative Dialogue
- 11.25 – 11.30 – Wrap up and closing by moderator
Programme notes
The webinar will be held in English. After each presentation participants will be able to ask some questions via ‘chat mode’. The moderator will select most promising questions and repeat the question to the speaker. The dialogue will be a selection of questions that will be presented to all participants. We will use different dialogue tools like ‘polls’ and Q&A’s with the panel to create a dynamic dialogue. Some questions will be subject to a ‘poll’ and presented to all participants onsite and online. The result of every poll will be published during the webinar. The recorded session will be published afterwards for replay purposes.
We hope to welcome you as participant in this dialogue that acts as a precursor for International Horticultural Expo Floriade Expo 2022 and as a starting point for building an exciting International network of experts.
