WELCOME! 

The International Conference on Water Policy, Institutions, and Regulation: Advancing SDG 6 (PIR2SDG24) will be held on January 25th-26th, 2024, in Lisbon, Portugal. This conference will have the role of Policy, Institutions, and Regulation as the general theme with a focus on its requirements to achieve SDG6, which focuses on water supply and sanitation. Top experts in this area have been invited as keynote speakers! 

This congress will be a great opportunity to meet, discuss and network with top academics, decision-makers, regulators and government officials, public and private operators, and other stakeholders. 

We look forward to seeing you in Lisbon in January 2024. 

Do not miss this chance! Book it in your schedule.

CONFERENCE

Policy, Institution, and Regulation: Advancing SDG6

The international community's commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) - Clean Water and Sanitation, is both a moral obligation and an urgent requirement. Yet, worldwide, stakeholders are still balancing a growing population, climate change impacts, and evolving urban landscapes, which challenge the achievement of SDG 6. With such constraints, there is an urge to establish resilient and interconnected policies, strengthen the relevant institutions, and ensure the enforcement of comprehensive regulations, promoting an enabling environment.

The Water Policy, Institutions, and Regulation: Advancing SDG6 (PIR2SDG24) conference serves as a global forum for stakeholders to converge, deliberate, and explore pathways able to align policies, institutions, and regulations towards an enabling environment. In recognition of the limitations of one-size-fits-all solutions seen in past highly developed technical and institutional strategies, this conference seeks to facilitate in-depth discussions on a spectrum of formal and informal mechanisms. These include flexible and context-sensitive approaches, by improving water governance able to mobilize fit-for-purpose financial and technical solutions, aimed at achieving the shared objective of universal access to safe water and adequate sanitation by 2030.

Our objective is to foster an inclusive dialogue that bridges researchers and practitioners. To develop coordinated efforts involving all stakeholders, spanning from national and local governments to utilities, customers, and regulators, and extending from academia to industry practitioners from diverse backgrounds. By exchanging insights and experiences, we will discuss actionable recommendations for advancing SDG 6.

Join us at the PIR2SDG24 Conference as we explore innovative solutions and chart a course toward a more sustainable and equitable water future through improved PIR alignment. Your participation is key to unlock the path to 2030!


FOCUS

Major topics that will be addressed

Water cycle systems and services. Opportunities and constraints to align policies, institutions, and regulation (PIR) to promote water sector strategies towards SDG 6: 

1.  The role of innovative policy approaches and legislative actions; 

2. The role of institutional dynamics, showcasing successful models, and the role of various actors in the water ecosystem;

3. The role of effective regulations.

Key constraints: Performance issues and key governance gaps.

Integrated strategies across levels (e.g., global, national, regional, and local), and scales (e.g., urban areas, catchments, regions)

Cross-sectoral collaboration and technological innovations as enablers.

Investment priorities in infrastructures and the overall cost matrix (e.g., capital charges, operation and maintenance, opportunity costs, and externalities)

The role of tariffs, taxes, and transfers to achieve / finance the achievement of SDG6.

The importance of promoting the participation of public and private partners. When and how?

Capacity building to fulfill existing gaps in water supply, wastewater, drainage, and other infrastructure sectors.

LOCATION

University of Lisbon School of Law