10:30
10:45
12:15
Briefing
Informal urban settlements with irregular layouts continue to be a housing solution for a significant share of the population in developing countries. In Brazil, this population has been increasing proportionally. Providing these areas with fully formalized urban infrastructure is the long-term objective; however, due to the high costs involved, typically borne by public budgets, such solutions are often unrealistic within short- and medium-term planning horizons.
The objective of this session is to discuss interim and transitional solutions that enable access to adequate water supply and sanitation services while full urban upgrading is not yet achievable. Solutions for water supply, which are generally easier to implement, will be addressed, alongside sanitary sewage services and stormwater management, which involve greater technical complexity and higher costs.
The session will also examine service quality under these conditions and the role of communities in ensuring that the right to adequate and reliable water supply and sanitation services is upheld.
Palestrantes:
- Daniel Nolasco – Vice-Presidente da IWA – International Water Association
- Sudhir Murthy – CEO da NEWhub Water Corporation
- Christoph Platzer – Sócio administrador da Rotária do Brasil
Moderador(a): Marcelo Miki – Engenheiro do Departamento de Implantação de Pesquisa, Desenvolvimento de Projetos e Inovação da Sabesp e membro da Câmara Temática de Tratamento de Esgotos da ABES
13:30
BWW Connection
15:00
Briefing
This session explores how the combination of high-quality data, artificial intelligence, predictive modeling, and digital tools is transforming operational management in the water and sanitation sector. The focus is on the ability to anticipate risks, optimize assets, and guide strategic decisions based on evidence, reducing losses and improving system efficiency.
Key Topics
- Predictive modeling applied to water and wastewater networks
- Critical scenario simulation for planning and rapid response
- Digital twins as a decision-support tool
- Use of AI for failure prediction, demand forecasting, and operational anomaly detection
- OPEX and CAPEX reduction through data-driven decision-making
- Case studies of utilities that transitioned from reactive to predictive operating models
15:15
BWW Connection
16:45
Briefing
Achieving universal access to water and sanitation services, as established in the UN’s SDG 6, demands a massive influx of capital, which, in many regions, is driven by long-term partnerships between the public and private sectors. However, the stability and sustainability of these contracts are currently facing unprecedented pressures arising from a global landscape of uncertainty.
This session will explore the mechanisms of Economic and Financial Rebalancing from an international perspective, discussing how different localities are adapting their regulatory frameworks to mitigate or address exogenous shocks. The central debate will focus on the integration of climate resilience into business models: how contracts can absorb the rising costs of adapting to extreme events (droughts, floods and water scarcity) without compromising tariff affordability or the financial viability of operators.
Global trends in economic regulation will be discussed, including the use of automatic rebalancing triggers, climate risk-sharing methodologies, and the impact of macroeconomic and tax reforms on the attractiveness of infrastructure investments. The objective is to promote an exchange of experiences on how to ensure the legal certainty necessary to attract international capital, ensuring that sustainability goals are translated into resilient and socially fair contracts.
Key issues:
- How are international regulatory frameworks evolving to include climate risk as a factor of financial imbalance subject to contractual review?
- What are the global best practices in rebalancing methodologies that balance the need for investments in resilient infrastructure with social protection and low tariffs?
- How do macroeconomic instability and fiscal reforms impact the sustainability of long-term contracts and which mitigation mechanisms have proven to be more effective?
- How can regulation encourage operational efficiency and technological innovation as tools to maintain economic balance in the face of rising input and energy costs?
- What is the role of international financial institutions and regulators in creating a predictable business environment that supports universalization goals and SDG 6 in scenarios of high uncertainty?