Increased anthropogenic pressure and extreme weather events threaten the sustainability of freshwater resources. The inadequate infrastructure of many urban landscapes often intensifies this trend. We will highlight unique and transformative strategies from Copenhagen, Singapore and Melbourne’s water management plans to address the challenges faced by Toronto, Canada, in meeting freshwater demands.

An overview of ways in which humankind is stressing Earth’s water cycle and their impacts. Reintroduction of beavers as a keystone species and regenerative land management enhancing small water cycles are critical to fresh water restoration and biodiversity for cooling the planet.

Strategic plans from policy makers, new knowledge and novel solutions are keys to holistic sustainable water management. This session allows stakeholders from diverse expertise to exchange ideas, knowledge and findings to identify the needs and approaches to address water scarcity facing the world in the climate change era.

In the context of Chile’s mega-drought and expansion of water requirements, we will evaluate the new Grey Waters Law, analyzing the interrelation between technical and regulatory entanglements regarding the reuse of wastewater, highlighting its positive aspects as the necessary changes to improve the feasibility and impact of this alternative source.

Our study shows the importance of forest conservation in Patagonia to ensure the provision of fresh water. A maximum water harvest occurs in winter months (5.0 m3/s); in others the flow is 1.5 m3/s. In June a 15% of the demand by the nearby communities could be satisfied.