First International Forum on Development, Environment and Health Arezzo, Italy, November 20-23, 2012 High-Level Conference on Water, Climate and Health 23 November, 2012 Organised by the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea (IMELS) and The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) Background During the G8 Environment Ministers Meeting, held in Syracuse in April 2009, the ministers agreed that safeguarding human health is a fundamental objective of environmental protection and sustainable development. At the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in March 2010, ministers of environment and health from the pan-european region adopted the Parma Declaration aimed at reducing the adverse health impacts of environmental threats in the coming decade. Countries confirmed the need to integrate environment and health issues in all sectoral policies and measures at all levels and highlighted the role of national and regional cooperation to meet environmental challenges such as water management and the impacts of climate change on environment and health. The Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in June 2012, recognised that water is at the core of sustainable development and has close links with global challenges such as energy, food, health and poverty eradication. It also recognised that transition to a green economy represents a key driver for sustainable development.
The Forum and the High-Level Conference It is in this context that the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea and the Italian Ministry of Health are promoting the First International Forum on Development, Environment and Health, which will be held in Arezzo, Tuscany, on November 20 23, 2012. The aim of the forum is to explore critical environmental factors that endanger human health, identify risk assessment challenges, and discuss the main policy tools and possible joint actions. The forum builds on high-level science policy dialogue and provides an opportunity for international discussion on environment and health as new drivers for green economy and sustainable development. Scientific sessions during the forum will give experts a chance to exchange existing knowledge and to discuss major environment and health topics and risk assessment challenges. The forum will also provide an opportunity to promote Italian best environmental technologies for sustainable development. In the framework of the Forum 1, the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea and The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe will organise the First International High-Level Conference on November 23, focusing on risk management, science policy dialogue, and challenges related to water, climate and health. 1 Please see a short summary of the Forum below the Provisional Programme!
High-Level Conference on Water, Climate and Health Provisional Program Thursday, 22 nd November 2012 13.00 (by) Arrival in Rome / Florence Transfers to Arezzo (Hotel) 18:30-19:30 Italian best practices Showcasing of environmental technologies for sustainable development 20:30 - Gala Dinner Friday, 23 rd November 2012 09:00-09:30 Registration 09:30-10:00 Opening of the Conference Welcome address HE Dr Corrado Clini, Minister for the Environment, Land and Sea of Italy Chair Marta Bonifert, Executive Director, Regional Environmental Center Anna Rita Bramerini, Assessor to the Environment, Region of Tuscany Monica Bettoni, Director General, Superior Public Health Institute H.E. Fatmir Mediu, Minister, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Administration of Waters, Albania Mr. Marco Keiner, UNECE, Director of Environment Division 10:00-11:15 Risk management challenges: Water, Climate and Health Chair: Mr Edoardo Michele Majno, Director General of the Department of Health (Tuscany Region) Invited speakers: Dr Bettina Menne, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Medical Officer, Global Change and Health Health determinants in water and climate policies Dr Luciana Sinisi, Chair of Task Force on Extremes - Protocol Water and Health to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Water Convention Water and climate
strategy in the UNECE Region : the case of water supply and sanitation under adverse weather conditions Mr Jan Semenza, Senior Expert, Health Impact, Office of the Chief Scientist European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Challenges at EU level for water-related diseases Ms Helena Molin Valdes, Deputy Director UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Communication to the public in emergencies 11:15-11:45 Coffee break 11:45-12: 45 Panel Session Facilitator: Dr Claudio Martini (Water Right Foundation) Experience, case studies, best practices and recommendations on addressing the challenges Invited panel members: Mr Alberto Sandoval, FAO Climate Change and Food Security Mr Desiree Schweitzer, Deputy Coordinator Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mr. George Zedginidze, Former Minister, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Georgia Mr Roberto Zocchi, Chair EU3, European Federation of National Associations of Water and Wastewater Services (EUREAU) Water utilities sector Mr. Omer Ozturk, Expert in Climate Change, Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, Turkey Mr. Milos Jevtovic, State Secretary, Ministry of Health, Serbia Mr. Adylbek Ormonov, Executive Director, State Agency on Environment Protection and Forestry of the Kyrgyz Republic 12: 45-13: 15 Questions and Answers Session 13:15-14:30 Lunch 14:30-15:45 Science-policy dialogue: Challenges in Water, Climate and Health Chair: H.E. Dr. Corrado Clini, Minister for the Environment, Land and Sea of Italy Invited speakers: Mr. Marco Keiner, UNECE, Director of Environment Division Water Convention and Protocol, Water and Health /Policy tools for trans-boundary governance Mr. Anne Li Strat, Deputy Mayor of Paris Drinking water supply in the light of Climate Change (t.b.c.) Dr Sergio Castellari, IPCC, National Focal Point of Italy Experience/considerations on building up adaptation measures
15:45-16:15 Coffee break Mr Mehmet Bas, General Director of Environmental Management, Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation, Turkey H.E. Borbala Czako, Partner, Ernst&Young Mobilization of financial mechanism, public-private partnerships and corporate social responsibility 16:15-17:15 Panel Session Facilitator: Marta Szigeti Bonifert, REC Executive Director Policies, tools, solutions, recommendations to enhance science-policy dialogue Invited panel members: Mr Jan Semenza, Senior Expert, Health Impact, Office of the Chief Scientist European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Mr Jan Dusik, Acting Director, UNEP, Regional Office for Europe Nurlan Zhumaev, State Agency of Environmental Protection and Forestry, Kyrgyzstan Professor Maria Lodovica Gullino, Vice Rector, University of Torino Mr. Vigen Avetisyam, Head of Department of Underground Resources and Land Protection of Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia Mr. Nodrijon Yunusov, Head of Department of Interstate Sustainable Development Commission, State Committee for Nature Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan 17:15-18:00 The Way Forward discussion and closing session Conclusions and recommendations by the Chairs and Facilitators 20:30 - Dinner Saturday, 24 th November 2012 09:00 15:00 Study Tour (site visit) Cultural Visit in Arezzo and surroundings
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE AREZZO FORUM (20-23 November 2012) SCIENTIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM The Forum aims to provide Institutions, local authorities, private sector, ONGs and experts with the appropriate framework for exchanging views, knowledge and experiences on development, environment and health topics and related risk assessment challenges. Key words of the First International Forum on Development, Environment and Health are research and advanced technologies for the environment and health: new drivers for development. The scientific program is structured to allow discussions on analysis of impacts of development processes on environmental determinants of health, together with socio-economic factors, and on how promote new solutions for healthy sustainable development. The Forum will pay special attention to several critical environmental factors endangering human health. In its first edition, the Forum will address the following issues: - Renewable energy as zero impact opportunity and way for promotion of innovation and sustainable development. Discussion will address the most recent frontiers for research and technology and opportunities deriving from Green Economy instruments; - Protection and proper use of water resources, a in-depth analysis of Integrated Water Cycle Management issues and available investment opportunities for drinking water safety. The session will describe cutting-edge water saving technologies, surface water and wastewater treatment technologies as well as available regulatory tools to protect quality, safety and availability of water; - Analysis of health risks in contaminated sites: how to assess the reliability of epidemiological analysis findings of health risks in contaminated sites and provide the proper communication and dissemination of information; a distinct session will also discuss the issue of micropollutants and food chain in contaminated sites; - Health Impact Assessment session will discuss results of local experiences and the process of its integration in environmental policies; - Outdoor/indoor air pollution and health: considerations for the risk management. Experts will feed evidence-based discussion on health risks from exposure to pollutants in everyday outdoor and indoor environment such as cities, offices, schools. Focus will be also on daily consumer products as source of indoor air pollution, the influence of climate change on microclimate in crucial environments as hospital and, last but not least, specific research objectives for the hazard assessment of the main air pollutants; - Towards MILANO EXPO 2015 (Feeding the Planet-Energy for life). Nutrition aspects will be addressed from different prospective: how nutrition may play a role in the promotion of health, measures and opportunity for agriculture as driver for sustainability and health protection,
measures and opportunity to enhance environment promoting sustainability and protecting human health; - Global Environmental Changes, exposure to chemicals, risks of infectious diseases towards a integrated prevention. The session will be shared by environmental, human and veterinary health experts presenting results of local projects on session topics following EU strategies on one health approach. Evidence-based discussion will focus on research needs and suggestions to improve a resilient-to-changes integrated prevention of health hazards under the challenges of global environmental changes such as climate change, urbanization trend, land use degradation, biodiversity and ecosystem services loss; - Waste management. Technologies for the waste cycle management with a specific focus on the best and advanced practices available for recycling and energy recovery from waste. Some leading Italian companies in the field of waste collection and recycling of waste, production of quality compost for agriculture, recovery of energy from non-recyclable waste are invited for an exchange of experiences and best practices. A pilot project for a future free from landfill of wastes will be also presented; - Eco-sustainable Hospitals and Universities. Concrete examples of sustainability in health and education sectors infrastructures and buildings. The Forum will also be the opportunity for the Italian Regional Authorities responsible for the Environment to address the issue of climate changes impacts and hydro-geological related risks together with the Italian Minister of Environment. Finally, in the framework of the Forum, the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea and The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe will organize the First International High- Level Conference on November 23, focusing on risk management, science policy dialogue, and challenges related to water, climate and health. For more information on the Forum and to download the full version of the Program please visit the following website: www.forumriskmanagement.it