This year, the World Water Day theme was explored through a variety of engaging events open to the KAUST community. Delivered as a series of collaborations between the Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC), The KAUST School (TKS), KAUST Enrichment for Youth (KEY), Facilities Management (FM), Health Safety and Environment (HSE), IWA KAUST Students Chapter, Students for Sustainability, the Birding Club, Global Branding and Communications (GBC), and the Office of Sustainability, each event uniquely contributed to understanding and addressing global water challenges under the banner of “Water as a Catalyst for Peace.”
Water as a Catalyst for Peace: A KAUST faculty panel discussion
A panel of expert KAUST faculty explored the critical role of water in promoting global peace and environmental sustainability. Through a cross-disciplinary dialogue that included desalination technology, marine ecology and conservation, and integrated assessments, the panelists underscored the potential of water as a conduit for collaboration rather than conflict. The conversation also raised awareness about sustainable water management, the importance of conscious water usage in our community, and the role of water security as a foundation for global peace and sustainability.
Exploring solutions to water scarcity: A TKS student initiative
The session started with a keynote presentation by Dr. Sofiane Soukane, a senior research scientist from the WDRC, who highlighted the criticality of freshwater availability, emphasizing the right to water as a fundamental human need, and providing a more nuanced definition of water scarcity. Following the keynote, Grade 11 students from TKS presented their innovative solutions to tackle water scarcity. The event concluded with a poster session, offering a platform for 14 student groups to share their ideas, fostering a deeper understanding and shared responsibility for solving water scarcity.
Water Desalination Plant open house
FM, in collaboration with Students for Sustainability, organized community tours to the KAUST Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Plant, showcasing the infrastructure responsible for providing KAUST with 40,000 m³/day of potable water. Twenty-five participants joined the tours, getting an in-depth look at the plant’s production capabilities, as well as the meticulous monitoring and tracking systems in place. The tours promoted a reflection on the privilege of access to potable water and the importance of its responsible consumption.
Nature walk
The HSE nature walk attracted 15 participants to the picturesque backdrop of the KAUST pier. Exploring the local ecosystem, walkers documented the local biodiversity guided by a biodiversity expert from HSE. Collaborating with the Students for Sustainability and the Birding Club, the walk served as a reminder of the importance of water for local fauna, contextualizing the negative impacts of poor water management on different ecosystems.
Water movie night for students
Organized by the IWA-KAUST Student Chapter, a screening of “The Day After Tomorrow” movie exposed 20 attendees to the consequences of climate change. With water scarcity being a pressing consequence of this global issue, a small discussion was held after the movie about the relationship between SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation, and climate change.
