As pressure on freshwater resources increase across the globe, so does the need to govern the use of these resources in a way that is sustainable into the future.  This international conference will bring together policy makers, water managers, scientists and civil society, in a forum where new ideas beyond academic exchange for the future can be shared, nurtured and hopefully developed.  This conference is aimed to share new knowledge on the topic of sustainable fresh water governance through written papers and posters, multi-stakeholder panel discussions mainly between researchers and policy makers as well as civil society.

The Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) is organized every two years by the multi-stakeholder Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), in association with the reform processes of the CGIAR.  The GCARD Conference provides an open, inclusive process and collective forum, where representatives of all stakeholders in agricultural research and development can share knowledge and feedback on their actions in transforming agricultural research for development. The GCARD 2012 Conference will enable review and collective feedback on actions taken to deliver development change through research, education and knowledge sharing and specifically explore how best to meet the chronic challenges and capacity needs now identified in AR4D. 

The conference seeks to: identify the challenges of designing and implementing water policy reforms and strategies to address them; to gain a better understanding of how integrated water policy reforms can be implemented in specific contexts incorporating well-recognised principles of environmental policy (e.g. the polluter pays principle, removing environmentally harmful subsidies), a sound economic basis (e.g. sustainable cost recovery) and good governance; and to provide an opportunity for developing and developed countries to share experiences about past and on-going water policy reforms and to identify key factors for improving the prospects for success.

Every year the DISsertations initiative for the advancement of Climate Change ReSearch (DISCCRS, pronounced discourse) hosts a symposium for early-career climate change researchers. The goal is to catalyze international, interdisciplinary collaboration while laying the foundation for dynamic, communicative collegial networks that are better-equipped to understand and respond to the myriad challenges posed by climate change. During the week-long symposium, the 30 invited DISCCRS Scholars will have the opportunity to present their research, hone interdisciplinary communication and teambuilding skills, and discuss emerging research and trends.

The Global Forum on Sanitation and Hygiene will bring together sanitation and hygiene professionals and WSSCC members for a week of sharing, learning, strategizing and momentum-building around these vital issues. The Forum has four main objectives. First, it will facilitate learning and sharing between members, sector practitioners and policymakers. Second, it will energize professional communities by focusing exclusively on sanitation and hygiene. Third, it will showcase knowledge, investment, communications, advocacy, partnership and networking approaches. Finally, it will strengthen national, regional, South-South, and global dialogue and collaboration.