2nd Biennial OU International WaTER Conference
The 2nd Biennial University of Oklahoma Water Technologies for Emerging Regions (WaTER) Conference was held October 24-26, 2011.
The conference theme, “Synergy at the Interface: Integrating Technology, Social Entrepreneurship and Behavior Change,” was designed to bring together participants from multiple disciplines responding to the UN Millennium Development Goals of bringing water and sanitation to emerging regions and to allow participants a forum for sharing experience and discussing challenges and solutions. The over 200 attendees included water and sanitation experts from academia, industry, NGOs, governments and foundations representing over 35 countries.
Conference events included contributed oral and poster presentations addressing water related topics, such as social entrepreneurship, behavior change, water technologies, climate change, and hydro-philanthropy in the developing world; 6 keynote talks from leading WASH professionals; an educational Clean Water Poster Contest for local school children; and two half-day workshops on social entrepreneurship and pump, well, water treatment and latrine technologies.
The highlight of the conference was the awarding of the 2011 OU International Water Prize to Mr. Ben Fawcett from the University of Queensland, Australia, co-author of the milestone book The Last Taboo: Opening the Door on the Global Sanitation Crisis.
