Smart One Water - Equity, Affordability, Social and Environmental Justice

PANEL 4: EQUITY, AFFORDABILITY, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

PANEL QUESTIONS

Can we agree that access to safe, secure, affordable water should be a basic human right?
Can we agree that water is also indispensable for other societal needs that require addressing in just and equitable ways? These needs include food security, energy security, environmental and ecological health, and recreational and economic opportunities. How will Smart One Water help meet these basic human needs in just and equitable ways at scale?
What is the power of water? It can be taken away through diverse processes, some biophysical (e.g., climate change, sea-level rise), some sociological and political? How can Smart One Water help with these issues?

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

The panel’s primary objectives were:

To understand the meaning of equity and its importance in the water sector
To recommend actionable items that promote awareness surrounding equity and how to look at the technological challenges with an equity lens.

PANEL OUTCOMES

Participants heard from water sector leaders about the opportunity for a paradigm shift in equity, as well as practical insights on strategies for implementation to support low-income households.