Water for Prosperity: Empowering Youth, Shaping Prosperity Through Water

So, can you see my presentation? >> Oh, yes, it's okay. >> Thank you very much. Hello everyone. Uh, good afternoon, good morning, depending on where you are currently. I'm hydraulic and sanitation engineer pres president of the scientific and technical committee of the association of young water and sanitation professionals of sin. uh on behalf of the global youth movement for water particularly the executive board uh of young water and sanitation professionals of synagal. I welcome you all in this third uh session of capacity development series on water for prosperity empowering youth and shaping prosperity through through water. Uh this session is uh designed to explore one of the K terms of the 2026 UN water conference co-organized by our country the Sagal and the United Arab Emirates. Uh this is one forward step of Y engagement toward the 2026 UN water conference after the preparity the preparator the preparatory uh sorry meeting held in Dhaka months ago. One of the outcomes of this webinar series is the development of a position statement reflecting the perspectives and recommendations of young people which has to be taken into account in the conference conclusion for the acceleration of SD SDG's achievement. So dear participant welcome again and just remind you that a Q and a box is available. Do not hesitate to drop your questions and engage over the webinar. So if Amadu is here I pass the floor to him. Amadu, are you here? Muna, I think that is not yet. >> Okay. >> So, you can And yeah, he here. He's here. >> He's here. Okay. you just run a time. >> Sorry for the delay. I have just some issue to connect. How are you my dear? >> I'm fine, thank you. >> Thank you. >> And the floor is yours. >> This is my welcome. You the way that you're welcoming me. >> Okay. Thank Thank you my my dear Madu. Let me just start with my camera. >> One minute. >> Do you hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you M. I want uh just to thank uh IGPS and all the the partner notably the the global youth movement for for what children and and and youth but also the the sponsor of this of this event uh IA uh that was very important for for us as a co-host uh to have this possibility of stakeholder engagement but notably for for for youth having this commitment to having themsel in this in this process. Uh yesterday I was in uh meeting like this with the stakeholder that are designing uh the stakeholder declaration for the UN water conference 2026. Uh this process start in Dhakar when we held the property meeting uh in June in sorry in in in January 2026 where we have this day zero uh for to give the space of the stakeholder uh to have their consultation also their contribution regarding the the water conference. Uh after that uh we have started this process and uh last week also in uh Stockholm during the the the world water uh meeting the uh we have also this opportunity uh to participate uh in some in session where the youth uh are gathering uh their initiative but also their commitment to participate to this conference. Uh I think all these uh commitment that we have around the the the young water conference uh give us uh this uh turf that uh is not only uh uh state uh that are having the solution for access to water and and and sanitation. uh the challenge regarding the water access and and sanitation cannot be solved only by state. Uh for solving this issue, we need really having the real stakeholder on on that. And when we talk about the real stakeholder, the youth have a big part on on on on that. Uh we are really happy uh to see all this commitment but also this mobilization of youth regarding the the UN water conference. I give you just the the confidence that as Seneagal and also United Emirate Arab we are pleased to to really have your contribution uh not only uh to participate but also to came and design the outcome of of of this of this conference as you know this conference is about uh the accelerating the implementation of access to water and sanitation uh you know the I think it's in in uh in one or two month ago we have the the the ALPF where we do the evaluation of uh SDGC's and those in this exc we see we have a big gap regarding the water access and and and sanitation for example if you take the the Africa case uh we have the new vision of water and this new vision is related uh to development mostly in in in Africa and where we really have this link between water and and and prosperity uh because we cannot say jobs, we cannot say industry, we cannot do energy, we cannot do food without having having this water and we know today uh the the the the water situation in in in the world really maybe you you had to learn about this report the the bankruptcy of of water uh leaded by the the UN water university about about water. Professor Madani who win the last Palmo uh who saying we we today we are maybe using the water more than the capacity we we we have and for to come in the initi the the the efficiency of this water we need really new technology with new invention and having this invention called the participation of the youth on on on that uh let's make the the UN water conference as a momentum. Uh not using this momentum to organize maybe activities but also to impact the water issue uh and the water challenge in in in the world but notably on the local area where I can say maybe in the last miles where we can impact really in at the country level at the regional level but also at the village where we can really do do do impact. uh on on that I really want to thank you and also to give you the commitment of the of the the co-host notably Seneagal and in the United Emirate to work together with you to to impact the agenda of the of the of the water also I'm calling you also to to work closely with the co-chair of the six interactive dialogues but are working making the flagship initiative around these uh these uh the this this interactive dialogue. Uh let's also bring your input on on on that as you are doing on this uh on this uh webinar that we are dealing with water and and and prosperity. On that I wish you to have a great discussion and also uh this great discussion also to impact the the global water agenda also the water conference that we are organizing together. Thank you. Thank you Amadu. Uh so I let the floor to Manguna Mayuna you are the boss of this webinar for the rest the next few slides and presentations. We can just come or present briefly the agenda uh for the participant and then we can go with the panelist. Thank you. >> Thank you Madu. um for this opening words. Thank you Amadu for the strong message that you have uh give to us. Um thank you to everyone um to all people joining us from the old country. Welcome to this um webinar related to water for prosperity. My name is Mayuna Sejop water and sanitation engineer. Um, I'm a program director at ENO, a Senegalis private company working on developing water and sanitation facilities. I'm honored to be your moderator today. Um, this webinar is very important. Why? Because as everyone said, in a few months the 2026 UN water conference will take place in uh Abu Dhabi. Um before going deep into the session we can just look at the global statistic at the moment the world's want to reach the sustainable development goals by 2013 and one of them is the SDG6 which is about clean water and sanitation for everyone. As you know the progress is still too slow in 2024. Um about two billion people around the world did not have access to safe drinking water at home. About 3.4 billions people um did not have access to safe sanitation. And in addition 1.7 billions people still did not have access to basic aent services like a simple place to wash hands. So the world is really facing issues to make full access to clean water and sanitation a reality by 2013. This is why today's conversation matters and why the voice of young people is so important. Water can bring prosperity for our economy, our society, our environment, and for our communities. Um, water is not also just a nice title. It's a call to action because water is important for many reasons. It helps our economy grow through farming, energy, and industry. So today two speakers will help us understand this topic better. First we will talk about integrate and sustainable water research management and how it can help communities prosper. Then we will look at water use efficiency and waste water management. And after the two presentation we will open the floor for question before closing. Um our first speaker joins us from Morocco and it's a pleasure to welcome Dr. Ahmed Leuri. He is a senior advisor to the chief research officer at Muhammad s poly techchnic university and he will talk about integrate and sustainable water researches. Thank you Ahmed and this the floor is yours. Ahmed, are you hearing us? Madu, >> I think he's he's talking, but we can't hear him. >> Yeah, we can't hear him. >> He's talking. >> So, we can switch. If it's okay for you, Geraldine, we can switch with your presentation and uh we will uh let Ahmed have uh some quick logistic. Um >> it's okay for you, Gerald. >> It's okay for me if it's okay with Ahmed. >> Okay. Talking. But you can't hear him. >> We can we can't hear him. He might have a uh a microphone issue but >> maybe maybe >> the mic >> because we are seeing him speaking. >> Mhm. >> Yes, it's my his mic is open but unfortunately we cannot hear. >> No, we can't hear him. >> Okay, I can go for my presentation and then when he Okay. Okay. I I think is that right? Okay. Okay. >> Okay. Din is our he he he he was the second speaker but we have to switch. Geraldin is the vice chair of strategic and technical council at the African water and sanitation association. She will explain how using water efficiently and managing waste water well can bring benefit to communities. Geraldin um you can go ahead. >> Okay. So good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I hope you can all hear me fine. Um I'm happy to join because I'm among youth and it makes me feel young. So I'm very very happy to join. So maybe I will start by introducing myself on top of what my manager said. Uh I have worked in communications for over the over 35 years. In 19 in 20 29 I joined the water sector as a communications external and public relations manager in the water utility in Cameroon working with Cam Deu first and then with Cameroon water utilities corporation cam water. So over the past 15 years, I've used my my skills for the benefit of the water and sanitation sector in Cameroon and in Africa. As you were told, I'm the vice chair of the strategic and technological council of the African Water and Sanitation Association and I'm also coordinated the network of professional women of water and sanitation for Africa French speaking countries from AFWA. So to start with my presentation because we have I think 15 uh 15 minutes I'll try to stick on that. First I want to start with um excuse me because I have yes the title of my presentation is how can improved water use efficiency and waste water management contribute to economic and environmental resilience. So while I was working on my paper, making some research, I came out with that subtitle which is contribution to economic and environmental resilience to improve water use efficiency and wastewater management. So we're going to step by step. So first I want you to uh follow me on the first slide which speaks about water a driver of economic and social development for prosperity. So we're going to speak of uh from resource to value how we can maximize every cubic meter. So whenever we discuss what the conversation often revolves around access, scarcity or infrastructure. However, I would like to propose a shift in perspective. Water must also be viewed as a strategic asset for our development. Every single cubic meter mobilized rep mobilized represents energy investments, jobs and output across agricultural industry and services. Therefore, the real question is no longer just how do we secure more water. It is also how do we generate greater value from every cubic meter at our disposal. Next slide. the paradigm shift. So here we want to address transitioning from water as a basic need to water as a strategic asset. This paradigm shift is fundamental for us. For a long time we primarily approach water through the lens of access. As I said before, producing more, building more, distributing more. Yet in the face of climate change, rapid urbanizations, population growth, which are the challenges we we facing in in Africa and everywhere in in Africa and everywhere. We can no longer meet demand solely by building more infrastructure. We must also enhance the performance of our existing assets. This means moving from moving away from a purely volumedriven approach toward a framework centered on value, operational efficiency and sustainability. Next slide. Constructing infrastructure should no longer be viewed as an end in itself. The real issue is what long-term value does this infrastructure delivers deliver? Can a highly effective but energyintensive treatment plant truly be considered as considered a high performing asset? It is a network that produces a massive volume of water only to lose a significant portion before it reaches the end user genuinely efficient. We must I don't think so. So we must therefore redefine our matrix. What I want to emphasize here is that the performance of the water sector must be evaluated based on the quality of service provided, the value generated and the sustainability achieved. Next slide. Efficiency. We want here the things here to doing more with less. It means efficiency is probably one of the most powerful levers at our disposal. Doing more with less does not mean compromising on service delivery. It means producing and distributing more effectively with fewer losses, lower energy consumption, reduced cost and greater reliability. Sorry, I'm a French speaking person. So digitalization enables us to detect anomalies much faster. Smart methods provide deeper insights into consumption patterns. We want also to speak here of predictive maintenance minimize which minimizes downtime and extends the lifespan of our equipment. Here there is a need for collabor more collaboration and coordination among all stakeholders involved in public road infrastructure for example and works. There's particularly import this is particularly important because water networks are frequently damaged during road constructions or rehabilitations work resulting in significant water losses and service disruptions. So strengthening coordination between water utilities, road authorities, contractors, other relevant stakeholders, communities could help anticipate and prevent such damages. Most importantly, every COVID matters we save becomes an additional resource available for our communities, agriculture industry and the broader economy. So before seeking out new resources, let us begin by optimizing the ones we already have. Next slide. Waste water. From this child to resource, we also need to overall how we perceive waste water. And I know that in most of our countries, this is really a challenge. If I speak of my own country here in Cameroon, waste water treatment is something very ambionic. I don't know if you say so in English, but it's, you know, it is really at the beginning. Too often it is treated merely as a nuisance to be dis yet properly treated waste water is a valuable secondary resource. It can be repurposed for irrigation specific industrial applications, green space maintenance and even energy generation. This brings us directly into a true circular economy framework. Our systems waste becomes another systems resource and this is precisely where water intersects with innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation. Next slide. Water climate and innovation. So building smart and resilient water systems. Climate change compels us to become significantly smarter in how we manage water. We must know exactly where our resources are, how they are fluctuating, where losses are occurring, and how our infrastructure holds up against extreme weather events. And the the the we here we can use data GIS sensor artificial intelligence and remote sensing that can allow us to shift from a predominantly reactive management style to a preventive and predictive one. However, the goal is not to adopt technology just for the sake of it. Innovation must solve tangible problems, remain cost effective, cost effective and offer solutions similar to African realities or maybe Asian realities. I speak of Africa because this is where I live and what I know better. Africa does not need to simply replicate the world solutions. It may must also forge its own. And here is my preferred slide which is the youth community. Uh from job seeker to solution providers. Here I want to emphasize the crucial role of our youth. We frequently talk about the youth as a dem demographic that needs employment. We believe it's not only me. We believe we must equally view them as a driving force for generating solutions. The challenges facing our sector are immense. No revenue water. You can say a lot on that one. Sanitation, data management, energy efficiency, climate adaptation, maintenance, service quality, etc. Behind every single one of these challenges lies the potential for an integration, a startup, a new service, a profession, and jobs. Therefore, we must equip young people not only with employment opportunities, but also with the avenues to become entrepreneurs, innovators, and active participants in the sector's governance. African youth must not merely be the beneficiaries of solutions. They must be the co-designers and creators of this solution. So my final message is how do we get from water to prosperity? I would like to circle back to where we started. The future of water in Africa or in Asia will not depend solely on our capacity to mobilize more water. It will depend on our ability to manage data, manage better, utilize, treat, reuse and extract maximum value from every single cubic meter. We must transform water into resilience, waste water into resources, innovation into solutions, and our youth into change makers because ultimately maximizing the yield of every maker means maximizing every opportunity for development and this is how we will build an Africa that is more resilient, more inclusive and above for all more prosperous. The last thing I want to say is that just that because I'm the vice of the strategic council of Afasa, we have specialist group where all these challenges are you know discussed uh I don't know how to say it but we are working to to not only to discuss to to talk but to go into actions. So I want to invite all the youth to join us in those specialist group and make things move in our countries. Thank you. >> Thank you very much Geraldin. Thank you for this great presentation and the call to action to order yours. Um this shows us that every single cubic matter as you say is very important. Saving and treating um wasting water are not only technical topics but they also bring real benefits to communities. So thank you. Thank you for this great words. We can go back to Ahmed. Ahmed is okay now. Hello Ahmed. I think that he he always have some issues. I'm trying. >> I'm trying to reach him by phone. Let me try. >> Okay. Hello Mark. Mark Mac is um from Togo. Welcome to this webinar. Hello. >> Hello. Okay, Ahmed, it's okay now. >> Yeah, I have I I am believable. I I even have some I even have some issues with my Wi-Fi at home. We have a >> No worry. No worry. It's okay now. So, the floor is yours. >> I'm sorry. I'm using my phone. Uh so uh first of all uh I would like to express my gratitude to the colleagues and institutions uh that are organizing this webinar. I'm I'm happy to contribute. Uh I I would like to uh mention my affiliation to uh the UN co-chair on water, women and decision power uh at Alawan University in Morocco. Next slide please. uh in my presentation and and I have only 15 minutes uh I will cover these uh six chapters but I will actually simply uh fly over things and I'll be happy to uh go into details during the QA session uh and they'll be also happy to interact with uh anyone who may with anyone who may be interested uh in uh what we discussed. Today my my email address was given in the first slide and should be given also in the last slide. Next please. Water. Next slide please. Water constitute a big challenge today for uh I would say for the humanity. Uh in 2015, the United Nations came up with this uh uh sustainable development goals and one of them the goal six devoted to water and 25 2030 is tomorrow. uh and we uh decided together that by 2030 ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. So uh next slide please. Next slide please. So the when we look and I mean I have written two reports for the United Nations on the uh uh SDG 6.5.1 which is devoted to integrated water resource management and we are far from being on track to reach the objective in 2030 and if you look at Africa for example most of the countries are in the uh middle low in terms of performance And the best ones, North Africa and Southern Africa are in the uh middle high. None of these countries if you compare for example to Europe or even North America is uh doing well even though the United Nations devoted a decade to uh water uh an action that water. Next slide please. So I mean it was mentioned earlier in the introductions that the true challenge uh for water is this fragmented water management and everyone knows that water is a key for life is a key for success is a key for development and in all countries in the world there are a lot of institutions and users that intervene in the water management and in the water use and that's why there is a problem with this fragmented management that put strains on ecosystems and local economies and deepens the gender inequality worldwide. I I have I I mean in this presentation I will talk about gender on on all aspects because I belong to the uh UNIS code chair on water women and decision power and I think I don't need to go over this figure you all know this uh uh data about uh the lack of opportunity for people to have access to clean water and to sanitation. but also the loss for the countries and the loss the global loss for not actually uh using adequate tools to manage use water. Next slide please. So uh integrated water management is an important aspect of uh water in general uh and and and I don't need to read the definition maybe most of you know the definition of uh uh IWRM and in particular the Dublin principle number three which talks about women and also it is well known that Women and girls are in charge of water collection sometimes and also water use and water management in the field or at home. But they are not missing uh when it comes to making decision about water projects or water uh uh management uh in general. And uh there are three interconnected pillars for integrated world resource management. The economic efficiency, the social and gender equity and the envir environmental sustainability. Next slide please. So for we have four priorities uh for uh our actions in order to ensure an integrated and sustainable water resource management, governance and policy and is well known that actually and I said it earlier the problem and I know the case of Morocco for example and many Arab countries because I work actually on water integrated water management in the Arab world. We have actually several institutions that deal with water issues and water management and sometimes there are conflicting uh interests and conflicting uses of water and we live for example through a project I managed in the countryside. the conflict for example between the ministry of agriculture which is the largest user of water and the uh agencies the basin agencies that protect water resources. So of course governance and policy is very important and then we have the infrastructure and technology. My colleague earlier talked about actually the use of technology today including artificial intelligence in management not for the sake as as she said not for the sake of using technology but it is important today to engage in innovation and use the best practices in our management and of course it is well known that in many countries infrastructure is not at the level. The third one is the engagement of the community and and and we need to put actually the water users, the farmers, the local businesses at the center of our planning and accountability and accountability here is very important. Uh you know pollution for example the poller who need to pay the the strong users who need to pay and so on. And we don't forget actually the gender issues the equity in terms of gender. And then we have the data and financing uh which needs to be sustainable. So we need to have uh good information. Uh sometimes we people lack information about water resources in their uh region and the financing models that uh make long-term investment possible. So everyone knows that today that water is the foundation on which communities build their prosperity. Next slide please. We come to the youth and when when we mention the youth uh again gender boys and girls uh young professionals uh are not the water sector's future. they are is present and uh we need to engage with the youth in four different aspects. First innovation. It was mentioned by my colleague earlier that we need to use best practices, digital tools, lowcost sensors and data platforms for smarter water management entrepreneurship. We need to engage and encourage the youth to create not to rely on the government or on on the businesses from others to work but create their own companies. sometimes even small businesses for uh new water and sanitation models that create local jobs and uh income to the youth and then the policy voice. So advocacy for for for the youth we need to listen to their voice into national and global communities and then networks create and I'm happy uh I looked at the uh uh the participants in this webinar and they've seen that they're coming almost from all over the world. I've seen people from Asia and I see a very good friend of mine from uh uh the Republican Dominican Republic. So it's nice to see this connections between people. It is very important and I congratulate Sagal and IWA for uh connecting the young professionals uh across the borders and this webinar is a proof of concept. Next please. Next slide please. So uh now uh actions so we need actually uh to work together and to involve the youth to innovate organize and demand a seat at the policy table. So we need to listen and we mentioned earlier for women and girls that actually they do not they don't have a seat uh very often we cannot generalize but we say actually often they don't have the seat uh to uh voice their opinion when it comes to uh planning and even sometimes implementation of projects that's of interest to them. So that's for the youth for the institutions they need to invest in gender responsive integrated water management and then the policy makers they need to turn to their synthesis and other uh and synthesis from other uh encounters and my colleagues in the beginning mentioned that they met actually in Sweden they met actually in the United Arab Emirates and it's good actually to take all the outcomes of all these good initiatives and do the synthesis and these synthesis need to be uh translated into commitments at the United Nations Water 2026. Next slide please. That's all. Thank you very much for your attention and I'll be happy to address any comments or questions from the participants. Thank you very much Ahmed. Thank you for this clear and useful idea on uh managing water researches. Thank you also for the calling to action and all the messages toward your people that are connecting right now. Um we have heard excellent presentation. Now we will open the floor for the for the questions. Um I will invite the participant to to write the location in the chat box or raise your hand um if you want to ask your question live. We have about um 25 minutes for discussion before the the closing part. So the floor is yours dear participant. We already have one question received in the in the chat box. Yes. If we can address it, >> I think that one is addressed to me, right? >> The first one. Yeah. >> Okay. It was who was whose question was any anyway? I think that that uh the the I wanted to read the question that's why I was looking for it. So if someone can read it for me >> um yes just uh the question is how far are we in terms of water commitments of 2023 implementation? >> I was not talking of that one. There's another one in the the first one I saw was in the the chat box because this one is in the >> Oh, in the set. Okay, let me let me try to find it. >> How can international water policies be translated into practical community level solutions particular in water stressed countries? I have this one. >> Mhm. >> And let me see if we have something else. And okay, maybe I've found it in regions where wast freshwater resources are already under increasing pressure from climate change and human activities. How can improved water use efficiency and waste water management help secure water availability for both domestic and agricultural uses? So this was this is one the one I think was >> Yeah, that's only for you. Okay, I think I I'll come back to to what I was saying in my presentation. The key is to do more with every cubic meter of water we have. That means it it means improving efficiency for example through drip irrigation, leak reduction and smart water management while treating waste water as a resource that can be safely used for agriculture. This is what I was saying. For example, a city can reduce water losses in its distribution network and you use treated waste water to get per urban farms reducing pressure on freshwater sources. So this is where we're talking of the shift from use and dispose to use, treat and reuse. uh this will strengthen water security for both households and agriculture especially under climate change. This is what I can tell to maybe there's another question for Ahmed or myself. I don't know. >> I I I think Yeah. Okay. Go ahead. >> No, we have two other questions. One is what is the major difference between gender responsive uh WRM and gender sensitive WRM? And we have another one from Augustine saying to what extent half of the deliberations on water resulting from conference being implemented for tangible results on the ground. >> I think I will leave those to Ahmed. >> What what was the first question please? Um what is the major difference between gender responsive WRM and gender sensitive WRM? gender sensitive and it's it's I mean w we're simply uh mentioning gender uh as I said in my presentation uh because we are not doing enough to have equity at the gender level and that's why we keep actually bring it up to the table that we need gender implement and manage our waters. uh it's well known and and uh most of the water especially in the countryside and the suburbs of cities in the world not only in Africa but also in developing world in general but also even in some developed countries the the task of doing the job is on girls and women and this has a big impact on the prosperity and the success of women later a lot of girls are prevented from going to school because they have to go fetch water for the family and and and and and do it its management and and and that's why we need first to tackle these issues and and I think that the United Nations in the uh uh SDG six it is well mentioned that an effort an extra effort needs to be done on this issue of gender uh because actually the the the impact fact is the fact that if you don't have the chance to go to school, then the chance to get a good job, the chance to have a prosperity in your life is limited. And that's why it is very important. And that's why we keep mentioning that we need to bring it to the table again and again and again until uh the solution is found and until everyone is convinced and everyone is doing it, not simply talking about it. and and and but normally we should simply talk about integrated water resource management. What was the second question please? >> Um so the first question you receive it so let me mark it as done. The second question is to what extent have the deliberations on water resulting from conference have been implemented for tangible results on the ground. >> You're muted. >> Today is is not my day in terms of technology. Although I'm I claim to be an expert in using technology but today I have problems. >> So the excuse me I have to so the no I have here Do you hear me now? >> Yes, now we can hear you. Thank you. >> The there is a a big difference between uh our wishes or our desires as humans and the reality of the ground. in in in 215 2015 everyone and I think all countries applauded and signed the agreement for the uh SDGs but when you look at all of them and uh as an educator I did lot of work on SDG4 which is related to education none of these SDGs is on track today to reach the objectives And of course we have a lot of challenges. I mean the good will is there but actually on the ground the reality on the ground is is is different. And the the work today uh is to really close the gap between the wishes the the and and and to use technical terms our plans our strategic plans and their implementation and to close the gap between what is on paper and what is on the ground. And that's why educating people, bringing in the youth is very important and I'm happy with this webinar because we are dealing with uh the youth bringing in the youth and gender because I don't forget that I mentioned boys and girls bringing them to the to to to the work to to do work and to contribute but also listening to them and giving them voice. Thank you Ahmed. We have a final question that we received is um how can we make water more inclusive in addressing climate change and incorporate communication in sign language and bread to empower the vulnerable population. >> Maybe wants to take this one. Well, I can say something and maybe Ahmed will add on to that also. Especially as a communications person, I want to take the second second part of the question which is incorporate communication in sign language and by to empower the vulnerable population. I I I must confess that uh because I've as I said I've been working in the water utility sector for more than 15 years as a communication director and in in our program this is something maybe I I would say that we have failed because uh most of the time we've been doing communications as political marketing or maybe just telling to people how to to use water to and avoid the losses and whatever. And we even go to some communities, you know, we as women, we go to women to young girls to talk to them, empower them within our networks. But the vulnerable which is here we can say we are talking of B, we are talking of sign language, we can even maybe think of indigenous people. We've never to my to my knowledge we've never had a specific program for those people maybe within NOS's but working in a utility uh we've never had some so specific programs so this is something and this is where I say that uh the the young people young girls young men you have a a a role to play to change things to make sure that nobody is left behind or aside to make sure that within our utilities, within our organizations, we are uh making sure that uh all those vulnerable people populations are taking into consideration. Maybe Ahmed in Morocco they have a different he can say something different, but I'm speaking of Cameroon. I'm even speaking uh from the perspective of uh the African water and sanitation association. I think this is something we have to work uh on and uh I call upon youth to come and you know make things move at this uh at this level. Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank you Jord. What I want to say with regard to this point and and we I I mentioned earlier the gap between uh decision made uh sometimes in the United Nations like for these objectives uh and decisions made at the national level and to trigger them down to the people uh that's the challenge and uh and I would say here that education is a very important tool to overcome this problem because uh education not only allows for prosperity but allows for uh empowering people and we talk about women empowerment and education is the key to women empowerment but in this issue special issue we have a problem of people empowerment, men and women. And uh of course and I've seen actually a change of paradigm in Morocco because today we have for example in the water sector in the countryside we have today in some places associations of water users, associations of farmers and so on. And when people get when people get together then they really voice their import their opinion and I would even say that they impose themselves because the good will come in even from governments sometimes by the time it reaches the people it dissipates in the atmosphere and it doesn't reach especially the vulnerable the poor farmers the the little farmers and and women and and so on And when you educate people, when you build and I will use a word that sometimes uh offends some, when you build a transparent democratic environment, then people would voice their opinion and ask for what they need. And you mentioned the people with special needs. We forget them. But if these people have a place in society, have good education, then themselves they will impose themselves and they will force their society to take care of their needs. And that's why I I bring to the table today also education as a key factor that will allow actually to empower people so that actually we work on on both ends. We work at the institution level to have actually policies and so on that serve the needs of the population. But we have also the population that contributes with ideas that contributes with genuine uh practices and also uh force the the course of action so that that that there is connection between the policies and the realities of the ground on the ground. Pardon me. I think that we have uh answer to all the question. >> Yes, we have we have covered all the questions. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Um are they any more question before before the closing? We have seen also um very important messages in the in the chat box. This will be part of the statement that will be shared after. So thank you to everyone for sharing your voices. Mama do if it's okay can we can we continue um to the next part of the session or give some more minutes to the to the participant to to share other all the questions >> I think excuse me I think there was one last question in the chat >> okay in the chat box okay >> yes somebody it is Jar Kumaru asking in the context of African cities where collective sanitation infrastructures remain limited. How can local authorities integrate gray water management into their urban planning and in particular in the design of local public facilities? I don't have the answer but I wanted to read the question. >> Oh okay. Maybe maybe Ahmed can >> Yeah. >> No. Uh ur urban planning uh is very important and and people today talk about uh uh smart cities and uh before being smart it needs to be uh a place where one find finds actually uh the necessary utilities and wash is very important. Water and sanitation are very important. I I I lived in a in a city where we don't have a problem of water. Neither the problem of water nor the problem of sanitation. And they lived in a small city where there was a problem of sanitation because there was no uh sew system really proper sew system in the city and and and when there is one it was on the open air and it was a catastrophe. uh I mean uh because uh the lack of this proper SE system was an additional factor to the risk the to the health risks for for for the population. So uh best practices are out there. Uh it's well known today what needs to be done in cities to have adequate water distribution and adequate sewage systems for for for their for their waste and and maybe we didn't mention today uh it's very important actually to use even to to to to think of the water purification and water treatment uh and and and reuse of water. So the best practices are out there and I think that everyone especially uh the the the managers the uh the offices of the cities need to look at these best practices worldwide best practices uh and uh adopt adopt them but adapt them to their you know the difference between adopting and adopting. So they need to adopt these best practices but adapt them to the realities of their environment because sometimes some of them for example there are plenty especially if you look at some developing countries or emerging countries like Brazil I mean the in in Asia for example, Indonesia and so on especially those Turkey and so on those emerging countries if you look at uh Some sometimes low cost uh means technologies, methods, practices that are used to have really adequate and and when I use a word adequate it means it's not really uh uh the things that are used by the rich. Adequate means that you protect your population from the health risks by having uh some minimum sewage system there but having some water distribution system because you know when people especially in in the countryside are going out there to fetch the water before breeding the water to and there are a lot of articles written on this. I have read one from Togo lately from a colleague before actually you the water reaches the house it's already infected so and I think that it's the responsibility today of the managers of the cities of governments to take this matter very seriously and uh look at what is done elsewhere to overcome these problems of water distribution. and uh sanitation also for the people. >> Thank you. Thank you very much Ahmed. I think that it was very very clear and um regarding the challenges we are facing um on Europe planning and whatever we talk about um whenever sorry if you talk about prosperity people think always about money forgetting everything basic things like education water sanitation so it's very important to show to all people the link between everything you see um in the society and toward community. So thank you for this. Um >> yeah, we know because we we know places and we know countries that are not very rich. >> Yeah, of course. >> But because people are serious and and and I mentioned one word which is also very important for me is the accountability because sometimes we are lacking accountability in our countries. We must say it. And uh when people are accountable then accountability brings about seriousness. And then when people are serious sometimes with little they can do a lot. >> Exactly. Exactly. >> And sometimes when they are serious with Allah they do nothing. And we have examples. >> So, Mohammed, I think that we can um >> Okay. Uh >> let me just um let me just share the sentences of uh >> okay >> everything we talked about during the presentation and during the the Q&A session. M >> um we we had two presentation that were very important and interesting um going through every single challenge, every single um topic uh related to water and prosperity. Geraldin made a focus on efficiency and invest um she explained that water should be seen as a capital to to protect and grow not just a resource to to match. Um and then she she also called on young people to move from being job seekers to being solution creators. I think that it's very important um to be very um real in um involving and uh engaging young people. It's very important. Dr. Ahmed remind us what water is why water is a catalyst for for prosperity and and not only basic need. Um he presented also four priorities action better infrastructure and technology stronger governance better data and financing and real community investment. He also stress um that young professional and young women in particular are not the future of water sector because they are already part of it today. So this um show us that there are three um great ideas that have been shared um through the presentation and all the talks. First, water is an engine for prosperity and we are behind schedules by 2030. Second, smarter, more efficient and more circular water management can unlock the the potential of economic and social value. And so young people are not spectator. They are central actors and they can bring um great solution uh to all the the challenges we are facing. Um so going through I think that we have um discussed about the connection between water, energy and food system and this cannot be just talking about water alone but um having a great perspectives a holistic perspective that can help us to better face these challenges. So mama the floor is yours for the closing part. I would like to thank everyone for participating to this webinar and giving me the pleasure to be your moderator today. Sorry for not being able to activate my camera. I have some issue with the phone with that. So apologize. Thank you very much. >> If you if you allow me one word if if you can if you can add something to or two things to the summary. one for me and one for my colleagueuh Geraldin >> is the education the importance of education and the importance of communication for Geraldin. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you. I will add it. >> Yeah. Thank you. I mean thank you for that. >> Yes. Thank you everybody. uh along the presentations I receive uh so many insightful fact and uh it was at at a moment very heavy for me as Franco or French speakers. uh it is not u very common for us to hold a webinar uh side to side in in English but we're trying and it is important when we want to engage a international audience uh I think that along the presentation I I have I take it not on three or I think two or three takeaways that uh at my point of view is or are very strong and uh important to to to remind that we have to cut with the linear system which uh should be switched or transformed in a secular um system with reuse of water and uh sustainable measurement. So, so as y we are agents of changes and we have three ways of uh to engage uh in innovation with the tools AI and sensors GIS by by entrepreneur in entre entrepreneurship uh by creating local jobs and income in advocating and uh advocating and bringing policy makers uh to uh be part of our idea and to be involved in our concern and um prosperity is uh build also water is good together. these together and Y cannot be uh taken behind or letting can be uh can't be left behind. So you have as boys and girls uh institutions and policy makers have to collaborate together for for prosperity and uh these are the more um strong takeaways I have uh uh highlighted in your through your presentation we which are very rich in in insight and uh have many many learning uh notes. So I thank you for your availability. Thank also I for this collaboration and the global youth movement for this webinar series toward 2026 UN water conference and uh thank all participant and uh say if you still have questions you can uh send send them to us by the by the M which is shown in this final slide and also to invite you in the in the next session the first session uh focus on water for finance uh co collection thank