On 26 February, FIVAS invites policymakers, researchers, civil society actors, and technology developers to join an important conversation about the future of water accountability.

The upcoming webinar, “Proof of Water: Governance Insights, Biodiversity Tracing & Digital Infrastructures,” will examine how emerging transparency tools are reshaping water governance and ecological protection.

What Happens When Water Becomes Traceable?
Water is embedded in food systems, materials, biodiversity, and infrastructure yet its ecological and social impacts often remain invisible. The central question of the webinar is simple but powerful: What changes when water becomes visible, traceable, and accountable?

Three Perspectives, One Shared Challenge
The webinar brings together three complementary perspectives:

1. Governance and Institutional Accountability
   How can transparency strengthen trust and improve outcomes, rather than simply expose unresolved conflicts? This lens explores how institutional design determines whether new data leads to better decisions.
2. Biodiversity Tracing Through eDNA
   Environmental DNA (eDNA) allows scientists to detect species through genetic traces found in water. Water becomes not only a resource—but an archive of ecological information. The session will explore how detection can support ecological protection when linked to governance structures.
3. Digital Infrastructures and Transparency Systems
   Digital identifiers, registries, and standards shape what becomes measurable—and economically actionable. The session will examine how these systems influence who controls, verifies, accesses, and benefits from environmental information.

Moving Beyond Technological Optimism
Participants will gain three key insights:

• Transparency alone does not ensure sustainability outcomes depend on institutional alignment and enforcement.
• Biodiversity data can transform water management, but detection must be linked to decision-making power.
• Digital infrastructures are not neutral; their design shapes participation and justice.

Event Details
Proof of Water: Governance Insights, Biodiversity Tracing & Digital Infrastructures
Thursday 26 February | 15:00–17:00 CET
Speakers: Yulia Titova, Cintia Oliveira Carvalho, Veikko Eeva

Better Water Futures, Together
Water traceability is not only technical—it is political, ecological, and ethical. On 26 February, FIVAS invites you to join the discussion and explore how visibility can strengthen ecological protection, public trust, and water justice.