Integrated water resource management of considering the global climate change has become into a priority for Latin America and the Caribbean, given the immediate consequences the region is experiencing: floods, droughts, landslides, avalanches, suspensions in the provision of public services and vehicular traffic along the routes of access, economic losses, human losses and effects on public health systems, as well as changes in the pattern of social life, ecosystems and biodiversity, which are affecting all socioeconomic strata, but especially the poorest. All this has become a major challenge to sustainable development and it is evident in our countries due to weaknesses such as: limited planning, deterioration of watersheds, populations located at risk zones, vulnerable public infrastructure, and limited drainage systems, among others.

The Cinara Institute and the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad del Valle at Cali, Colombia will develop the WATER 2009 event, from November 9th to 13th 2009 with headquarters in Cali city. The event includes an international conference of 1 day followed by 4 seminars - workshops in parallel, 3 days each one and one day optional to visit learning and demonstration projects.

The International Conference "Integrated Water Resource Management and Climate Change", will be developed on November 11th in Cali city. National and international speakers will present the latest advances in research and development to facilitate understanding on how to address the challenges and new scenarios for the integrated water resource management at the urban and rural scales under the concepts of mitigation and adaptation, development implications and to know how scientific research is addressing this global challenge, but with direct consequences for Latin America and the Caribbean.