Keynote Talk: Environmental Sustainability in World's Fastest Growing Regions: Challenges and Opportunities for Water and Waste Management

Clean and reliable water is critical for sustainable economic development and for protecting human and ecological health. Water is also highly susceptible to impacts of climate change and environmental pollution. Rapid urbanization is taxing natural resources, including water supplies. Before the industrial revolution, cities housed less than 10% of human population. Today, approximately half of the world’s population lives in cities, with half of these cities having populations greater than one million people. By 2050, an addition 2.5 billion people are expected to live in cities. Cities produce nearly 70% of greenhouse gas emissions and have a commensure amount of energy consumption. At the same time, highly urbanized areas are increasingly struggling with management of waste generated within these densely populated regions. For instance, synthetic chemicals were not part of the human experience until the late 19^th century with the accidental discovery of the synthetic dye, mauve. Today, more than 65 million chemicals are commercially available, many of which enter the environment both knowingly and unknowingly. From a drinking water exposure standpoint, not only are the chemicals themselves a potential risk, but also the innumerable transformation products formed during water treatment processes. Fortunately, technological advances in water purification, waste treatment, and analytical characterization are providing sustainable solutions for protecting the public health and the environment. This presentation will discuss the history and evolution of water and waste treatment technologies with a view for the future opportunities for global sustainability.