Καλωσορίσατε !! Welcome !!
It is a great pleasure to invite and welcome you to the XENOWAC II Conference, which will be held in Limassol, Cyprus, from the 10th to the 12th of October of 2018.
Nireas International Water Research Center (Nireas-IWRC) of the University of Cyprus is proud to host the XENOWAC II conference, a decade after the first XENOWAC conference (XENOWAC I) which took place in Cyprus in March 2009, in the framework of the COST Action 636.
A few words about Cyprus
Cyprus is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean sea and the third largest and most populous island in the Mediterranean. The earliest known human activity on the island dates to around the 10th millennium BC. Cyprus was settled by Mycenaean Greeks in two waves in the 2nd millennium BC.
The Cyprus Tourism Organisation beautifully describes the island… “Blessed with the beauty of nature’s best palette, the scenery of Cyprus unfolds across glittering coasts, rolling mountains, fragrant forests and rugged headlands. From the warm shores of the mainland to the unspoiled and cool oasis of the Troodos mountain range, nature lovers, artists, photographers and explorers will all delight in meeting shy creatures, and discovering rare plants that peep out amidst waterfalls, coves, woodland, winding trails and secluded sands. As the island is on the migration path between Europe, Asia and Africa, Cyprus is a birdwatchers dream, with flocks of flamingos frequenting the salt lakes, and many other significant species passing through or nesting. And deep in the forests, the national animal – the Mouflon – roams freely, while catching a glimpse of this timid, wild sheep a real treat for locals and visitors alike”.
Did you know that…
Did you know that Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world? Also, through overseas trade, the island has given its name to the Classical Latin word for copper through the phrase aes Cyprium, “metal of Cyprus”, later shortened to Cuprum.
The Cyprus problem
The Cyprus problem is the ongoing issue of military invasion and continuing Turkish occupation (since 1974) of the northern third of the island, a situation described and deplored in multiple UN reports and resolutions. The Republic of Cyprus has de jure sovereignty over the entire island, including its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, with the exception of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which remain under British control according to the London and Zürich Agreements. However, the Republic of Cyprus is de facto partitioned into two main parts: the area under the effective control of the Republic, located in the south and west, and comprising about 59% of the island’s area; and the north, administered by the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, covering about 36% of the island’s area. Another nearly 4% of the island’s area is covered by the UN buffer zone. The international community considers the northern part of the island as territory of the Republic of Cyprus occupied by Turkish forces. The occupation is viewed as illegal under international law, amounting to illegal occupation of EU territory since Cyprus became a member of the European Union
About XENOWAC II
The Conference embraces the work performed in the framework of NEREUS COST Action ES1403 and H2020-MSCA-ITN-2015/675530 ANSWER, both coordinated by Nireas-IWRC.
The XENOWAC II Organizing Committee together with the Scientific Committee is dedicated to develop a fascinating scientific program. In response to the increasing problem of water shortage, treated urban wastewater is currently widely reused, considered to be a reliable alternative water source. Regions inhabited by more than 40% of the world’s population already are in the situation where water demand exceeds supply. The ever-increasing shortage of water, the increasing needs for food due to the expanding world population, and for irrigation water, both in respect to good quality and quantity, render reuse a ‘sine qua non’ condition. Although reuse is accompanied by a number of benefits, and major advances have been made with respect to producing safe treated effluents for reuse (e.g. successful removal of nutrients, metals, chemical oxygen demand down to low levels), several important questions are still unanswered and barriers exist regarding the safe/sustainable reuse practices especially in relation to contaminants of emerging concern.
Join us and be part of this leading event for presenting and discussing the latest concepts and developments in the field of contaminants of emerging concern and urban wastewater reuse.
We are confident that XENOWAC II will stimulate valuable discussion and among academia, industry and governmental authorities, through inter- and trans-disciplinary networking. It will provide a unique international forum for exchanging state-of-the-art information and knowledge sharing.
On behalf of the Conference Organizing Committee
Dr. Despo Fatta-Kassinos (Conference Host and Chair)