The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), held the Symposium on Water Sustainability 2025 with the theme “Bridging Past, Present, and Future” on October 22, 2025, at the C7 Building Auditorium, 3rd Floor, FISIP UNNES. The event was officially opened by the Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. Zaenuri, M.Si., Akt., and attended by academics, practitioners, and students from various universities, featuring a total of 82 research papers.
The symposium brought together water and environmental experts from both domestic and international institutions. In Keynote Speech Session 1, Fany Wedahuditama (Executive Director of Water Stewardship Indonesia – WSI) and Dr. Jakkrit Sangkhamanee (Chulalongkorn University, Thailand) highlighted the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration in achieving equitable and sustainable water resource management. Fany Wedahuditama discussed the Water Stewardship approach, emphasizing stakeholder participation to ensure water use that is fair, sustainable, and economically valuable. Meanwhile, Dr. Jakkrit explored the cultural and social dimensions of water politics in Southeast Asia.
In Keynote Speech Session 2, Prof. Samsudin Anis, Ph.D. (Faculty of Engineering, UNNES) presented his innovative Atmospheric Water Maker (AWM), an air-to-water technology capable of converting humidity into potable water. This innovation supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 — clean water and sanitation for all — particularly in regions vulnerable to drought and disasters. Complementing the session, Prof. Dr. Dewi Liesnoor, M.Si. (FISIP UNNES) underscored the significance of water literacy and conservation education as a means to foster public awareness and collective responsibility for water sustainability.
Beyond the keynote sessions, the symposium featured eight thematic discussion panels covering crucial topics such as Women’s Engagement in Water Usage, Water and Local Wisdom, Politics of Water Resources, Water, Disaster, and Climate Change, Water Sustainability, Water Access and Social Justice, Water History, and Water and Environmental Education. Researchers presented studies addressing local wisdom in water management, women’s leadership in conservation, and social justice in access to clean water.
Through this event, FISIP UNNES reaffirmed its commitment as a Conservation University actively promoting interdisciplinary and international collaboration in addressing environmental sustainability issues. The Symposium on Water Sustainability 2025 served as an essential platform to strengthen the role of academia in supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
This symposium underscored that water sustainability is not merely a technical issue but also a social, cultural, and political one, requiring multi-sectoral collaboration to build a resilient and equitable future for all.
