The Elche Conference Centre will host the National Water Congress on September 11 and 12, focusing this year on food security. The event will bring together more than 250 professionals and 150 researchers from universities, public administrations, and private entities.
The meeting will address the relationship between water availability and food production. The program includes lectures, roundtables, and presentations on agriculture, agri-food, water reuse, desalination, infrastructure, and hydraulic technologies.
The Elche City Council, the Alicante Provincial Council and the Water Institute of the University of Alicante are organizing the congress, which will also have the collaboration of different institutions and organizations.
The mayor of Elche, Pablo Ruz, highlighted that "for the second consecutive year this congress is taking place in Elche, the complete city that stands out for its industry, agriculture and quality public services and that has made water its hallmark."
Ruz pointed out that food security is especially important in a municipality with a prominent primary sector. In this regard, he emphasized the need to guarantee water resources both for irrigation and for subsequent reuse.
The mayor also noted that "in Elche, 100% of the water is regenerated and reused, but this could not be understood without our constant demands regarding the Tajo-Segura water transfer, which is our future."
Water, agriculture and new technologies
The Vice President of the Alicante Provincial Council and head of the Water Cycle, Ana Serna, highlighted "the importance of the National Water Congress, which is fundamental because talking about water is talking about food security, especially in these recent times where we are experiencing international tensions and have learned that we cannot depend on external factors."
Serna also highlighted the importance of agriculture in the province of Alicante and the need to move forward with modernization and digitalization.
The opening ceremony will take place on September 11th at 9:00 AM with the first conference. Over the two days, topics related to the primary sector, livestock farming, water infrastructure, and desalination will be analyzed.
The president of the Scientific Committee, Joacín Melgarejo, has defined Elche as "the ideal city to hold this congress, an extraordinary laboratory in terms of water, because it has never had its own water, all the water it has is external."
As he explained, the meeting will address "the three major challenges facing humanity today: water security, food security, and the relationship of both with energy."
Representatives from a dozen Spanish universities will participate in the various sessions. These include the University of Alicante, the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, the Polytechnic University of Cartagena, the Polytechnic University of Valencia, and the University of Navarra.
Also present will be organizations and entities linked to water management, such as Aigües d'Elx, Aguas de Alicante and the Catalan Water Agency.
Attendance is free with prior registration. The conference can be followed in person and also online via streaming.
