Research on water scarcity and its impacts on a wide range of critical aspects of human well-being naturally has a strong orientation towards development challenges, so opening the conference with a keynote entitled “Water Security and SDGs” is a logical introduction. The agreement of the SDG as a common global agenda has provided a more precise framework – in comparison to the preceding MDGs – of issues and indicators for progress on critical issues of development.
Three major SDG issues – health, food security and migration – are discussed in four sessions of the conference, reflecting on research and development achievements so far. The aim of the concluding session is to review and evaluate the integration of the SDG framework into science, elaborating from the sessions’ outcome in how far SDGs are an appropriate guiding principle for researchers in their respective areas. On the other hand, representatives of the implementing agencies of research resulting in SDG-framed development agendas are requested to assess the achievement and difficulties of science-development integration along the SDG guidelines. As a result of the roundtable discussion, eventual shortcomings, success stories and/or areas of improvements shall be elaborated, specifically through better integration between the areas of health, food security and migration in research and development activities. Development agents should propose a list of tasks to scientists to better contribute to achieving the SDGs as a whole.
Beyond the roundtable participants, the audience is certainly invited to contribute to the discussion.
