{"id":24089,"date":"2023-03-20T12:18:46","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T16:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/science\/?p=24089"},"modified":"2023-05-18T16:01:12","modified_gmt":"2023-05-18T20:01:12","slug":"york-research-delegation-to-lead-water-security-panel-at-un-water-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/science\/2023\/03\/20\/york-research-delegation-to-lead-water-security-panel-at-un-water-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"York research delegation to lead water security panel at UN Water Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A York delegation will head to New York City March 21 to bring their research expertise to the UN 2023 Water Conference.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The delegates will lead a panel discussion on water security and climate change; the panel is one of a select group of side events included in the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sapna
Sapna Sharma <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery few side events led by a university were approved. My colleagues and I are excited for this opportunity on the international stage to demonstrate York\u2019s exemplary work in this field,\u201d said Sapna Sharma<\/strong>, an associate professor in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, and one of the world\u2019s foremost experts on the effects of climate change on lake ice and water quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur panel will amplify Indigenous and Black voices, and focus on the challenges that these marginalized communities face with respect to water security globally,\u201d Sharma said. \u201cWe will also talk about technological solutions and what people are doing to help solve the water crisis in their own way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The York delegation will be joined on the panel by researchers from Toronto Metropolitan University and Queen\u2019s University, as well as representatives from: Global Water Promise, a non-profit organization focused on bringing clean water to developing countries; Stockholm International Water Institute, a foundation for water governance; and mWater, a free data management platform for water and sanitation providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Sharma, the panel\u2019s model of knowledge co-production is critical to creating the climate resiliency necessary for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBy merging knowledge together, we can come up with better policies and tangible solutions for the water crisis that disproportionately affects racialized women and children,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UN side event is also reflective of the collaborative research approach found at York, including in water-related fields. The York delegates are members of One WATER, a new Organized Research Unit, as well as the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, and CIFAL York, a UN training arm. In addition to Sharma, they include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n