Speaker Biograghy: Maria studied Chemical Engineering at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) and holds a Master's degree in Integrated Water Management from Queensland University (Australia). She gained professional experience as consultant for a Spanish company conducting environmental impact assessments in different projects (mainly in the airport sector). She has participated in a research project dealing with water use in the oil industry. Since October 2011 she has been in charge of the implementation of the European Water Stewardship (EWS) standard in industry and airports as assistant for the European Water Partnership (Brussels, Belgium).


Day 2 - 26 March
Session: Energy, Environmental Issues & Sustainability

15:30 - 16:00 - Water stewardship takes off at airports
Synopsis: For airports as for other sectors, ensuring sustainable water management is vital for continuity of the activity. Many water-related risks emerge externally within the wider watershed. Thus only a genuinely ‘out-of-the-fence’ approach will enable the full range of operational risks relating to water in airports to be identified and mitigated. This reflects the real-world complexity of water management and is a fundamental aspect of the Water Stewardship concept. The European Water Stewardship will be presented as the tool that provides the basis for airports to evaluate, certify and communicate the sustainability of water management.

Audience will learn:

• Challenges and opportunities of water management in airports
• Assessing water risks (physical, regulatory and reputational)
• What to include in a robust water management strategy
• Becoming a good water steward
• Practical experiences of EWS implementation in airports