Kuching, 16 November 2010 – The Sarawak State Government together with the Malaysian Water Association (“MWA”) will host the International Water Association (“IWA”) Water Safety Conference from the 2nd to 4th of November 2010. The Conference is themed “Managing Drinking Water Quality for Public Health” and will be held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), a world class conference facility. This IWA International Specialized Conference, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) is jointly organised by the International Water Association and Malaysian Water Association (MWA) with the support from the Sarawak State Government.
In conjunction with the Conference, MWA is also organizing the Borneo Water & Wastewater Expo 2010 to be held concurrently. The Exhibition, the first of its kind, is to help specially address the specific water and wastewater needs of the Borneo region. While the Conference serves as a platform for water professionals to learn from each other and exchange ideas about critical issues in water quality and safety, the Exhibition will serve as a showcase of latest technologies and expertise that companies and water operators possess to address these issues. Entrance to the Exhibition is free.
“The theme of the conference, “Managing Drinking Water Quality for Public Health” which covers a wide range of topics, including urban, community and household level management of drinking water quality,” said Ahmad Zahdi Jamil, President of MWA, expects over 300 international delegates to attend the Conference, from a wide variety of water professionals. These include water operators to public health scientists; government administrators to source protection specialists.
Ahmad Zahdi added that besides the conference being a platform for individuals to share their experience and ideas, it will also “provide a good opportunity for delegates to interact with professionals across disciplines and regions to discuss common challenges and appropriate solutions.” The Conference and Exhibition are one of the many MWA- organised events that supports MWA’s objective in making Malaysia the regional water hub for developing countries.
This event is a landmark event for Sarawak’s water industry. For the 1st time in Sarawak, an international conference on water is being held here. The long term objective of this conference is parallel to Sarawak Government aspiration to prepare its water supply community for the challenges that lie ahead in ensuring the safe supply of drinking water.
Drinking-water quality continues to be the cause of significant preventable disease in both developing and developed nations. Sarawak Government recognizes this, and responding to international and national guidance, such as WHO’s and MoH’s Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, we are gearing towards an increasingly preventive management-oriented approach to drinking-water safety that is both cost-effective and applicable.
The water supply community understands what is needed to safeguard public health is a more preventative based approach to managing water supplies. Such an approach requires close cooperation between all stakeholders involved in managing water supplies from catchment to consumer. Water Safety Conference 2010 aims to strengthen the practices of such approach, especially in much needed region like Borneo and specifically Sarawak.
The MWA has chosen Sarawak as the venue for this Conference as its international delegates will be attracted to Kuching’s many offerings as an exotic destination. Y.B Dato’ Sri Dr. Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad, Chairman of Sarawak Convention Bureau said, “Hosting this prestigious event will help add to the credibility of Sarawak as a new hub for international exhibitions and conferences. I am sure that visiting delegates will have a memorable and productive meeting in our unique destination that offers rainforest side by side with a booming export economy.”
“We will continue to assist other organisations that are prepared to bid nationally and internationally”, he added.
The last IWA Water Safety Conference on Water Safety Plans was held in Lisbon, Portugal in 2008. The past conference provided an opportunity to signpost best practices in water quality management and helped to stimulate further implementation of Water Safety Plan. Sarawak is also a perfect venue for this Conference, being a state rich in bio- diversity, since the conference will also address the significant drivers for water quality and safety of today including the impacts of climate change, increased urbanization and managing resources for drinking water.
