Posted on: March 8, 2024 – Updated on: March 15, 2024

#WorldWaterDay: THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY OF WATER, AGRICULTURE & FOOD: WATER FOR PEACE – Invitation for 03/24/24

The Light Millennium, Charitable Global Human Advancement Organization
Associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications
Cordially INVITES YOU to the below 4th Annual #WorldWaterDay International Panel:

THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY OF WATER, AGRICULTURE & FOOD:
WATER FOR PEACE #WorldWaterDay

WHEN: On SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2024
TIME: 11:00 a.m. (EST)
Language: English | Via Zoom Platform

Please REGISTER in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcod-GrrDksH908FmcTWhgrLsxg1BwW0zbj

Organized and Presented by:
The Light Millennium, Charitable Global Human Advancement Organization | LMGlobal.Org
Associated to the United Nations Department of Global Communications &
The Light Millennium Television

Contributing Organizations are China Great Wall Society & IGEN – The Institution of Green Engineers, India.

THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY OF WATER, AGRICULTURE & FOOD: WATER FOR PEACE
Virtual Panel – TENTATIVE PROGRAM | MARCH 24, 2024 | Time: 11:00 – 1:00 PM (EST)

OPENING MUSIC: KORKMAZ CAN SAĞLAM, Pianist

MODERATOR & WELCOMING REMARKS by: Ms. BİRCAN ÜNVER, M.A., Founder-President & Producer, LMGlobal.Org

OPENING & CONCLUDING REMARKS by PROF. OLCAY ÜNVER, Arizona State University;
 Former Vice-Chair, UN-Water, and Member, Water Policy Group

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
• Dr. VINYA ARIYARATNE, President, Sarvodaya Movement, Sri Lanka

PANELISTS:
Prof. RM NARAYANAN, Dr. M.G.R. ERI & IGEN Water Bank Project, India
Prof. YANG JIANCHU, Huzhou Normal University, China
Dr. DAHLIA SABRI, Chair, IWRA-Egypt Chapter & Board Member, IWRA
Mr. AHMET GÜNEY, Co-Founder, Plant Factory, İstanbul
Mr. TOPRAK M.CILIZLAR, İTÜ, İstanbul, Pursuing Master of Science
Ms. BİRCAN ÜNVER, Introduction of the Guidelines of the 2025 J.U.C. Awards – All categories are dedicated to the Water Action Decade

• Interactive Section

Thank You Notes

Closing Music (Pre-recorded video) by: Mr. KORKMAZ CAN SAĞLAM, Pianist

2024 WATER FOR PEACE #WorldWaterDay2024 #UNWater #22March #WorldWaterDay

Water can create peace or spark conflict.
When water is scarce or polluted, or when people have unequal, or no access, tensions can rise between communities and countries.
More than 3 billion people worldwide depend on water that crosses national borders. Yet, only 24 countries have cooperation agreements for all their shared water.
As climate change impacts increase, and populations grow, there is an urgent need, within and between countries, to unite around protecting and conserving our most precious resource.
Public health and prosperity, food and energy systems, economic productivity and environmental integrity all rely on a well-functioning and equitably managed water cycle.
Source: https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day

CONCEPT OF THE PANEL

The virtual panel aims to contribute toward water awareness, building water conscience, and enhancing the general public understanding of the critical role and basic life form and appreciation of water in general. In connection with, “Water For Peace”, the organization strongly thinks that without securing clean and affordable water and sustainable food for all, consequently, we cannot achieve the SDGS, or world peace, which are not separable and tied one to another such as skin and bond.

Through this panel, each speaker will contribute from a different perspective in terms of country, theme-related field, and expertise along with crosscutting diverse issues.
We will seek an answer to one of the core questions on how we can contribute toward increased behavior change in the minds of the governments, policymakers, businesses, scientific, engineering, and technology communities, and all users and consumers of water. 

In this context, how to upgrade/modify existing infrastructure toward human advancement and eco-sustainability that will prevent enormous waste of our precious water sources toward contributing to securing agriculture and food production chain, and contributing back to the economic advancement for all that also be the backbone toward achieving world peace.

As the outcome, the panel will contribute to water awareness and water conscience that can be transformed into a demand by the public from their respective governments for the development of relevant public policies and allocation of resources towards the urgent need for legislation and enforcement, incentives, infrastructure, technology, and adaptive governance structures.

As the fourth Annual World Water Day program of The Light Millennium Global since 2021, the organization has been committed to contributing toward, in particular, to “water awareness” and “water conscience” aspects of the issue as the #WaterIsLife and #WaterForLife.
The LMGlobal.Org aims to post all received related speeches and presentations toward making all those available for the “Public Good”.

CONCEPT RELATED QUESTIONS


1. How can we LEVERAGE WATER for PEACE?

2. Can we achieve PEACE in any part of the world and on a global level as well without sustaining clean water and food for all?

3. While “566 million of the 1.1 billion poor people are children under 18 years of age” according to the 2023 Human Development Report, what are the existing and projected programs (on the national and/or global level) toward securing clean water and food and a peaceful future for those poor children of the world?

4. What are the foreseeable opportunities and challenges to providing sustainable and affordable access to clean water and food on the global level?

5. Without securing sustainable and affordable water for all, how can we make progress toward world peace?

6. How can technology help us with water security and sustainability of agriculture and food?

7. How can we protect our water resources from plastic, industrial, and chemical pollution?

8. What are the impacts of climate change on sustainable water, agriculture, and food? And, what are the solutions to that?

9. How can we transform all existing infrastructure of “wastewater resources” toward re-usage for cleaning and agriculture in all sizes of residential houses, apartment buildings, public buildings, and industrial and military complexes both in developing and developed countries?

10. What are the projections for eliminating water usage for energy production and technology so that those resources can be allocated to clean water, agriculture, and food?

KEY MESSAGES FOR WORLD WATER DAY 2024

• Water can create peace or spark conflict. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people struggle for access, tensions can rise. By cooperating on water, we can balance everyone’s water needs and help stabilize the world.
• Prosperity and peace rely on water. As nations manage climate change, mass migration and political unrest, they must put water cooperation at the heart of their plans.
• Water can lead us out of crisis. We can foster harmony between communities and countries by uniting around the fair and sustainable use of water – from United Nations conventions at the international level, to actions at the local level.
• Source: https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day

BACKGROUND: What is World Water Day? #WorldWaterDay

Every year, World Water Day (22 March) raises awareness and inspires action to tackle the water and sanitation crisis. It is a United Nations observance, coordinated by UN-Water and led by one or more UN-Water Members and Partners with a related mandate.
The theme is proposed in advance by UN-Water and is aligned with the annual publication of the UN World Water Development Report, published by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water, with its production coordinated by the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP).
In 2024, the theme of World Water Day is ‘Leveraging water for peace’ and the name of the World Water Development Report is ‘Leveraging Water for Peace and Prosperity’. The World Water Day campaign is simply called ‘Water for Peace.’
Source: https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2023/12/wwd2024_en_factsheet.pdf

BRIEF BIOS OF THE SPEAKERS

OPENING REMARKS

OLCAY ÜNVER, Professor of Practice, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Polytechnic School, Environmental and Resource Management Program, Arizona State University; Member, Water Policy Group & Vice-Chair, United Nations-Water (2018-2020)
Prof. Ünver is a global leader in water policy. He is currently a Professor of Practice at the Environmental and Resource Management Program at Arizona State University and a member of the Water Policy Group. He served as Vice Chair of UN-Water from 2018 to 2020 and is senior water advisor to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
In his public service career spanning three decades, he led FAO’s water programs and activities, UN-Water’s World Water Assessment Programme, and UNESCO’s Program Office on Global Water Assessment. Before joining the United Nations, he was a distinguished professor of water resources at Kent State University, Ohio, and President of the Southeastern Anatolia Project in Turkey, where he transformed a large infrastructure project into a sustainable socioeconomic development program. In 1999, he was listed among the 19 “European Visionaries” by Time Magazine and was featured in the New York Times for his efforts towards sustainable, human-centered development. He served as Secretary General and Vice President of IWRA (International Water Resources Association), and Governor and Treasurer of World Water Council.
He has served on boards and committees involving water, sustainable development, sustainable food and agriculture systems, water cooperation, and policy.
Olcay holds civil engineering degrees that include a Ph.D. in water resources planning and management, a master’s in urban hydrology, and a bachelor’s with a hydraulics focus. His areas of competence include water and food security; bridging across global frameworks; governance of water-land-soil resources, and water cooperation. Olcay is an associate editor for Frontiers’ Water-Smart Food Systems and on the editorial board of Water Security Journal (Elsevier) and Future of Food Journal (Kassel University, Germany). He is a NATO Scholar, IWRA (International Water Resources Association) Fellow, and a TUBITAK (Turkish Scientific & Technical Research Council) Honor Fellow.
Prof. Olcay Ünver is the recipient of the 2023 Crystal Drop Award by IWRA (International Water Resources Association).

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Dr. VINYA SHANTHIDAS ARIYARATNE, M.D., Honorary President of the Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya (Inc.)
Dr. Vinya S. Ariyaratne serves as the Honorary President of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, Sri Lanka’s most broadly embedded and long-standing grassroots community development organization. His leadership exemplifies a commitment to excellence in community development, public health, disaster management, and fields related to local and global development. He provides key strategic leadership to the entire Sarvodaya network which comprises how a workforce of over two thousand five hundred full-time staff and thousands of volunteers and independent organizations. His distinguished career both with Sarvodaya and beyond is marked by profound contributions, positioning him as a pivotal figure in the advancement of community development practice and public healthcare in Sri Lanka.
Dr. Ariyaratne was the President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) for the year 2023.
Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Ariyaratne has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to addressing community development needs and the health and well-being of communities, particularly in times of crisis. His extensive involvement in COVID-19 prevention and control, coupled with his role as the Co-chair of the United Nations Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) – Health Cluster, underscores his dedication to both local and global health initiatives.
Notably, Dr. Ariyaratne’s leadership played a pivotal role in Sarvodaya’s response to the 2004 Tsunami disaster, overseeing both emergency relief and the subsequent reconstruction programs. His exemplary work earned him the Degree of Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) honoris causa from the University of Durham, U.K., in 2007.
Dr. Ariyaratne’s impact extends into the realms of peace and reconciliation, as evidenced by his involvement in numerous local and global civil society initiatives.
Dr. Vinya S. Ariyaratne’s illustrious trajectory signifies a lifelong dedication to the advancement of local and global community development, healthcare, and peace initiatives. Serving as the President of the Sarvodaya Movement, he personifies and operationalizes the overarching purpose and mission of the organization. Driven by a commitment to construct a just, sustainable, and compassionate social order, he endeavors to address the fundamental human needs of the community through the synergistic channels of individual and collective awakening. His unwavering commitment to community development reflects a proactive engagement in realizing the transformative objectives defined by the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement in realizing Sarvodaya ~ the Awakening of All.

PANELISTS

Prof. YANG JIANCHU, Professor of the “Two Mountains” Concept Research Institute at Huzhou Normal University and Founder-President, Wulingshan Ecological Environmental Protection Federation, China
Yang Jianchu, born in Wuxing District, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, is an explorer and communicator of ecological civilization theory, a practitioner of ecological civilization construction in contemporary China, and the founding president of Wulingshan Ecological Environmental Protection Federation. He once studied at Hangzhou University (corresponds to Zhejiang University Xixi Campus at present) and Tsinghua University.
Currently, he is vice president and professor of the “Two Mountains” Concept Research Institute in Huzhou Normal University, secretary-general of the “Two Mountains” Think Tank Alliance, deputy director of the Theory and Standards Innovation Professional Committee of the China Ecological Civilization Research and Promotion Association, expert at the Beijing Ecological Civilization Engineering Research Institute, researcher at the Think Tank Center of Beijing Forestry University, and member of the Advisory Committee of Hubei Enshi University.
In 2015, he was invited to attend the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. In 2023, he was invited to attend the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, also The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity held in Kunming and Montreal.
He is the author of “Two Mountains Concept and Practical Tutorial, “Interpretation of Knowledge on Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutralization”, “Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutral Actions in China”, “CARBON NEUTRAL POLICIES AND ACTIONS IN CHINA”, “Ecological Civilization Education” and other monographs.

Dr. RM NARAYANAN, Dr. M. G. R. ERI & Head of IGEN Water Bank Project
Dr. RM. Narayanan is an accomplished geologist who is currently serving as Professor and Head Centre for Advanced Research in Environment & Remote Sensing and Dean (Sponsored Research) at Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute. His volunteering role led The Institution of Green Engineers Water Bank Project.
Throughout his career, he has completed several research projects with various government organizations. During the drought period in Chennai, one of the important projects was carried out for CMWSSB, and his project helped to provide water supply for at least 30 MLD to 60 lakh people for 100 days.
Currently, he holds 10 million worth of projects on water from ISRO, ICMR, DRDO, and DST. He is a current e-member of the International Ocean Color Coordination Group (IOCCG) in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. He has served as an editor for the American Journal of Remote Sensing (Science Publishing Group), Pollution Research and as a reviewer for the journals “Geomatics, Natural Hazards, and Risk” (Taylor & Francis Group), Current Science, Ocean Science Journal, International Journal of Civil Engineering, MDPI Journal of Remote Sensing, Journal of Environmental management and others.
He keeps his technical profile up to date by attending certification courses at prestigious organizations such as NASA, ISRO (IIRS), the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the Centre for Environment and Development (Trivandrum), etc.

Dr. DAHLIA SABRI, Board member at IWRA and Chair of the IWRA-Egypt Chapter
Dr. Dahlia Sabri is an Adviser in water resources engineering.
Dahlia holds a Ph.D. in Water Resources Engineering from the University of TU-Berlin, Germany, a Master of Science in Water Resources-Engineering from Lund University, Sweden, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cairo University, Egypt.
Dahlia has worked with the UN, EU, government agencies, and the private sector in the MENA region, Sweden, and Germany. She is an expert on water reuse, groundwater, and soil salinity modeling. Her main skills are in smart water management, numerical models, hydraulics, and hydrology. She is involved as a manager and designer on major infrastructure projects in the MENA region, including Egypt, Qatar, and Kuwait. This includes the design and modeling of water transmission and distribution networks, irrigation and treated sewage effluent systems, urban drainage, green infrastructure, and wastewater networks. She is a Board member at IWRA (International Water Resources Association), Chair of the IWRA-Egypt Chapter, and Founder of MEYAH NGO.

AHMET GÜNEY, Co-founder, Plant Factory
Ahmet Güney was born in Istanbul in 1990. He graduated from Istanbul Technical University with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, where he specialized in kinematic and dynamic design in industrial robotic systems. He began work as a hydromechanical systems engineer in 2011 while studying at university. From November 2017 onwards, Güney worked as a project and field engineer, designing and implementing swimming pool circulation and purification systems both domestically and internationally. He has been working with Plant Factory Plant and Food Systems Inc., an indoor vertical farming technologies company, and H2O Havuz Sistemleri A.Ş., since 2014 this date, and Güney is one of the four founding partners of the company.
Through Plant Factory, Güney had the opportunity to produce technology by taking advantage of the hydromechanical system experience that he gained in his business life and the industrial automation systems knowledge, which he focused on during his education. As a founding partner of the company, Guney is currently leading the R&D team. His team is dedicated to developing solutions for indoor vertical farming technology, which enables agriculture in urban areas independent of climate change and pesticides. The company works on both system design and growing techniques to provide sustainable and environmentally friendly farming solutions. Currently, under his leadership, the company is working on sustainable agriculture and closed-loop water management.

MEHMET TOPRAK CILIZLAR, Pursuing a Master of Science Degree at Istanbul Technical University.
M. Toprak CILIZLAR is a highly motivated and ambitious researcher who has relentlessly pursued education and knowledge throughout his life. He completed his primary, middle, and high school education in Adana before earning an undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Istanbul Technical University. Recently, he focused on sustainability during his participation in the Solar Decathlon 21/22 Europe competition. Currently, he is conducting research in astrobiology, while also single-handedly developing and leading the @bilimtayfı platform to create scientific content in Turkish. In addition to his academic pursuits, M. Toprak is involved in artistic activities like theater and various volunteer-based civil society organizations. He believes that learning and sharing knowledge with others is the most rewarding experience, recognizing the importance of acquiring knowledge and establishing communication.

BIRCAN ÜNVER, M.A. Producer, Originator, Founder-President & Head Rep. of The Light Millennium, Charitable Global Human Advancement Organization (LMGlobal.Org) to the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UNDGC).

Bircan has been leading and producing all aspects of LMGlobal.Org’s e-publications and public programs and The Light Millennium Television (#LMTV; #LightMillenniumTV) Programs since 2000. Officially formed in New York in 2001.
She carried out The Light Millennium’s association with the U.N. as an NGO in 2005 and has been Head-NGO Rep. to the UNDGC since then.
Bircan is the Peace and Goodwill Ambassador for Anuvibha (based in Jaipur, India) to the United Nations.
She is a recipient of various national (U.S.) and international awards and recognitions.
Bircan is the author of four Turkish and one English books in print including “Hope Never Fades” (2023, concept & compiled).
She holds a master’s degree (M.A.) in Media Studies from the New School University (1999, NYC), and a B.A. in Fine Arts from the Mimar Sinan University (1988, Istanbul).
Websites: www.lmglobal.org, www.lightmillennium.org, www.turkishlibrary.us, www.isikbinyili.org
www.vimeo.com/channels/LightMillenniumTV.

KORKMAZ CAN SAGLAM (1999), Pianist, Opening & Closing Music (via pre-recorded video)
Turkish pianist Korkmaz Can Sağlam is the Grand Prize winner of the 2021-2022 Vendome Prize for Piano, where he also won the CD Recording Prize.
Can Sağlam performed in concert halls such as the Morgan Library & Museum’s Gilder Lehrman Hall in New York, Wiener Saal in Salzburg, Verbrugghen Hall in Sydney, and other venues in cities such as Paris, Nice, Brussels, Cleveland, Verona, and Istanbul? He has appeared in festivals such as the Gümüşlük Classical Music Festival, Antalya Piano Festival, and Bellapais Music Festival. This season, he will appear at the 2024 Sydney Festival as the winner of The Rex Hobcroft People’s Choice Prize at the Sydney International Piano Competition, as well as in concerts with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by James Judd and New Manhattan Sinfonietta conducted by Gürer Aykal.
Born in 1999 in Ankara, he began his musical education with Gamze Kırtıl at the Bilkent University’s Music and Ballet Primary School at the age of seven. After studying with Antonio Pompa-Baldi and Sergei Babayan at the Cleveland Institute of Music, he received his bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School, where he was a recipient of the Ahmet Ertegün Memorial Scholarship and the Susan W. Rose Piano Fellowship twice.
His first studio album, featuring works by Handel, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, and Oğuz released by the Sono Luminus label in late 2023. https://kcansaglam.com

ABOUT

THE LIGHT MILLENNIUM, CHARITABLE GLOBAL HUMAN ADVANCEMENT ORGANIZATION | LMGLOBAL.ORG
LMGlobal.Org has sustained a good standing as an associated NGO with the United Nations Department of Global Communications (formerly, UN-DPI since 2005). The LMGlobal publishes online issues, organizes public events, produces and presents television programs on local channels (#LightMillenniumTV), and develops/presents various concepts in multi-platforms. It was introduced on the Web in 1999, and officially founded based in New York in 2001 by Bircan Ünver. The LMGlobal.Org mainly has been focused on public awareness via multimedia platforms, has encouraged active participation from all walks of life and promotes the following matters within its capacity as a ‘rights-based’ organization, based on its initial 2001 Certificate of Incorporation: Human Advancement as first, Democracy-Equality-Justice, Fostering World Peace, Freedom of Expression, Encouraging Intellectual Productivity, Girls-Women Rights, Cultural Diversity, Advancing Culture of Peace, and Global Connectivity…
The LMGlobal.Org is a non-religious, non-political, not-for-profit with #501- c-3 tax-exempt status, nongovernmental (NGO), and independent secular organization.
The Organization received the “approval” of the “Amended–and–Broadened” Certificate of Incorporation, and gained a new capacity towards becoming a ‘service’ and ‘rights’ based organization, effective as of December 17, 2019.
LMGlobal.Org successfully delivered its very first World Water Day panel in 2021, which was followed by two back-to-back panels in 2022. In 2023, the Organization was “Specially Accredited” to the UN 2023 Water Conference, and organized a side event at the conference, titled, “What Is Your Water Action Commitment To The Water Action Decade? The side event was successfully delivered through diverse international speakers and collaborations in their sections through seven grouped # WaterAction-related core ideas, which also provided a source for the 36 #OneMinute #WaterActionCommitment series. “THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY OF WATER, AGRICULTURE & FOOD: WATER FOR PEACE” panel marks the Organization’s Fourth Annual World Water Day program.

SOURCES & REFERENCES

https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day
https://www.worldwaterday.org/
https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2023/12/wwd2024_en_factsheet.pdf

References:
Hope Never Fades: The 2021 & 2023 J.U.C. Awards/What is Next?
The 2025 J.U.C. Awards in all categories are dedicated to the #WaterActionDecade

2023: Water Action Commitment Report
https://www.lmglobal.org/2023/11/27/its-time-to-report-back-on-the-lmglobal-orgs-water-action-commitment-to-the-water-action-decade/

#WorldWaterDay2023 LMGLOBAL.ORG-OUTCOME: “SEVEN CORE WATER ACTION IDEAS TOWARD WATER AWARENESS, WATER CONSCIENCE, AND GAME CHANGERS” CONCEPT SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED IN NYC ON MARCH 21, 2023.

https://www.lmglobal.org/2023/04/06/lmglobal-org-seven-core-water-action-ideas-toward-water-awareness-water-conscience-and-game-changers-concept-successfully-delivered-in-nyc-on-march-21-2023/

https://www.lmglobal.org/?s=water
https://www.lmglobal.org/page/2/?s=water
https://www.lmglobal.org/page/4/?s=water

#WWD2022 “OUR GROUNDWATER: HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER TO MANAGE IT SUSTAINABLY?” Presented from a global spectrum

#WWD2022 Water is Celebrated as the Source of Life

WWD2021 “How do you clean your hands and keep your family safe when you don’t have a reliable water supply, a decent toilet or even soap?”

#WaterForPeace, #SustainabilityOfWater, #Agriculture, #Food, #Peace, #WWD2024, #SDG6, #SDG15, #WorldWaterDay, #WaterAction, #UNWater, #WaterActionDecade, #JUCAward2025, #LMGlobalOrg, #lightmillennium, #UNWithCivilSociety,