On the occasion of the World Water Day 2022 marked with the slogan Groundwater – Making the Invisible Visible, the 9th international conference WATER FOR ALL was held from 19 – 20 May 2022 at the Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek.
The conference objective was to emphasise the role and importance of water as a vital and irreplaceable natural resource and the preservation of Croatian water wealth. The conference facilitated meetings and exchange of experiences and knowledge among experts and scientists who deal with water or research other aspects of connection between water and people.
The conference was organised in form of plenary lectures, oral and poster presentations, and presentations sponsored by business entities. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mario Šiljeg, state secretary of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mr. Želimir Pekaš, hydrogeologist of Hrvatske Vode, Prof. Dr. Jasna Šoštarić (University of Osijek) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amra Bratovčić (University of Tuzla) delivered plenary lectures and shared their knowledge and experiences with conference participants.
Zoran Đuroković, M.Sc., general director of Hrvatske Vode, delivered a greeting speech at the official opening of the conference and there were also prizes awarded for the best student work and for the best student photo on the topic of water, selected among ten student works and about a hundred student photos received within two competitions for students of the University of Osijek announced by the Conference Organising Committee.
Following the decision of the board established by the Organising Committee, awarded student works were made by the following students: Patricija Kralj (1st place), Tatjana Bodiš Togonal (2nd place), Vlatka Šokec (2nd place), Ana Elena Troha (2nd place) and Stela Meškić (3rd place). Awarded photos were made by the authors: Đuka Vidinovića (1st place), Elena Tuba (2nd place), and Tea Marunović (3rd place) and Helena Marić (3rd place).
During the two-day conference, more than three hundred authors from Croatia and neighbouring countries presented a total of 32 oral and 58 poster presentations within six thematic units (Agriculture and water resources, Drinking water processing and wastewater treatment, Water management, Water quality monitoring, Water supply and drainage system, and Wetlands).
The conference was organised by Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek and the Faculty of Food Technology Osijek in cooperation with the co-organising partner network. Prof. Dr. Mirna Habuda-Stanić acted as a president of the Scientific and Organising Committee.
International co-organisers of the conference were the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH), the European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group (EHEDG), and the Network of Protected Areas along the Danube River – Danube Parks.
This year’s 9th International Conference WATER FOR ALL was held under the auspices of Ms. Sunčana Glavak, member of the European Parliament, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Science and Education, the Ministry of Health, the Croatian Chamber of Economy and the Croatian Academy of Engineering, the Vukovar-Syrmia County and the City of Osijek. Organisation of the 9th WATER FOR ALL Conference was also supported by gold sponsors Jamnica Plus Ltd., Shimadzu Ltd., Miholjački Vodovod Ltd., Sigma Ltd., BP Group and Belje Ltd.
The main sponsor of the 9th International Conference WATER FOR ALL was the Osijek-Baranja County and Mr. Ivan Anušić, the county prefect.
The two-day conference on water closing emphasised the importance of the fundamental human right to pure water, as well as the necessity of applying guidelines for sustainable development in water management.
