Reshaping Our Cities: BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues 2024 on “Urban Water Resilience”
Image source: German Water Partnership e.V.
The event will kick off with an introduction from State Secretary Dr. Severin Fischer (Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises). Attendees will benefit from keynote presentations by thought leaders such as Will Sarni (Earth Finance, Water Foundry Ventures), Aklilu Fikresilassie, Phd (World Resources Institute Africa), Dr. Darla Nickel (Berlin Rainwater Agency), and Dr. Carlo W. Becker (bgmr Landschaftsarchitekten), sharing groundbreaking strategies and practical solutions. The conference is supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises.
This year, the BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues will highlight innovative water management and urban planning approaches that strengthen city resilience. Participants will gain insight into forward-thinking solutions with proven implementation strategies. The event centers on two main themes: “Urban Planning” and “Infrastructure and Digitalization.”
Dr. Carlo W. Becker and Dr. Darla Nickel will open the event with insights on the “Sponge City” concept. Dr. Becker, a landscape architect and managing partner of bgmr Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH, specializes in sustainable urban development and climate adaptation. Dr. Nickel, director of the Berlin Rainwater Agency, will present the Sponge City concept as a tested model for decentralized rainwater management in Berlin, emphasizing local rainwater storage, utilization, and infiltration to ease the burden on urban systems.
Following this, project pitches will provide an in-depth look at climate-friendly urban development projects and pilot initiatives from across Europe. The first panel discussion, moderated by Prof. Günter Müller-Czygan, Professor of Water Infrastructure and Director of the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems (inwa) at Hof University of Applied Sciences, will center on urban water resilience in the face of extreme rainfall events, highlighting the urgent need for urban transformation.
The second thematic block, “Infrastructure and Digitalization”, will be introduced by Will Sarni, the Practice Lead, Water and Nature at Earth Finance. He is also the Founder and General Partner of Water Foundry Ventures, a water technology venture fund focused on addressing water scarcity, quality and equitable access to water. He has been a sustainability and water strategy advisor to multinationals, water technology companies, investors, and non-governmental organizations for his entire career. The subsequent pitch segment will feature visionary models for resilient urban infrastructure, followed by a panel discussion led by Dr. Nicolas Caradot, Group Leader ‚Smart City & Infrastructure‘ at the Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (KWB).
In the concluding keynote, Aklilu Fikresilassie (Phd), Director of the “Thriving Resilient Cities” program at the World Resources Institute (WRI) Africa, will explore the potential of strategic, data-driven actions for building resilient cities. With over 20 years of experience in urban development, environmental policy, and program management, Fikresilassie will share insights into the unique challenges and opportunities of urban water management on the African continent.
Moderating this year’s BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues will be Dr. Pascale Rouault, Managing Director of KWB, and Boris Greifeneder, Managing Director of the German Water Partnership.
Source: German Water Partnership e.V.
