The second of its kind, the World Water Safety Conference in Porto, Portugal, is a focused meeting of experts from all over to share and study information about drowning and drowning prevention. Justin was in attendance and brought back lots of ideas and information back to the trenches.

Highlights from the ILS website:

“The WWS Conference 2007 objectives are:

•To gather the worlds drowning experts in research, education and action to find the best new approaches, techniques and quality technologies to reduce the global drowning burden.

•To explore the evidence in child and adolescent drowning prevention.

•To expand global participation in aquatic lifesaving, including among youth.

Research in lifesaving - developing the plan

•Does water safety education save lives?

•Does teaching swimming save lives?

•Does lifeguarding save lives?

•Fitness standards for lifeguards

•Evaluation of the World Congress on Drowning 2002 and the Handbook on Drowning 2005

•Other priority questions on a long list that is currently being prioritised

Total Life Saving Service Plan.

•Educate and inform: increase knowledge through public education and awareness

•Provide warnings and prevent access: promote safe aquatic environments

•Increase survival skills: promote acquisition of water safety and personal survival skills

•Provision of lifesaving services: where required

The WWS 2007 Conference aims to involve a wide range of persons interested in the cause of Saving Lives Worldwide: Prevention, Rescue and Treatment, from professional groups to volunteers which are engaged in lifesaving and drowning prevention projects”

You can the read the whole thing here.

UPDATE: The first reports from the conference are now online. Click for either abstracts or papers.