The World Water Forum is one of the largest water-related gathering that is jointly organized by the World Water Council and a co-host city that takes place every three years. [1] [2]
World Water Forum aims to:
Location | Year | Approximate Total Number of Attendees (including Fair and Expo) | Theme |
---|---|---|---|
Bali, Indonesia | 2024 | 7,334 | "Water for Shared Prosperity" |
Dakar, Senegal | 2022 | TBA | "Water Security for Peace and Development" |
Brasilia, Brazil | 2018 | 120,000 | "Sharing water" |
Daegu–Gyeongbuk, South Korea | 2015 | ~ 30,000 entries | "Water for our Future" |
Marseille, France | 2012 | approx. 35,000 entries | "Solutions for Water" |
Istanbul, Turkey | 2009 | over 30,000 | "Bridging Divides for Water" |
Mexico City, Mexico | 2006 | 27,500 | "Local Actions for a Global Challenge" |
Kyoto, Japan | 2003 | 250,000 | "A Forum with a Difference" |
The Hague, Netherlands | 2000 | 39,100 | "From Vision to Action" |
Marrakesh, Morocco | 1997 | 500 | "Vision for Water, Life and the Environment" |
The forum is made up of four primary components:
Each of these components benefits from extensive preparatory processes that commence two years prior to the World Water Forum.
Past editions have included other features, such as side events, a learning centre, a children’s forum, a youth forum, a children’s education village, water and film encounters and cultural entertainment.
The first World Water Forum, following the creation of the World Water Council, took place in Marrakesh, Morocco, on 21–23 March 1997. [5] It laid the basis for the development of a long-term "Vision for Water, Life and the Environment in the 21st Century." Sessions included:
The 2nd World Water Forum in The Hague from 17 to 22 March 2000 generated much debate on the World Water Vision [6] and the associated Framework for Action, [7] dealing with the state and ownership of water resources, their development potential, management and financing models, and their impact on poverty, social, cultural and economic development and the environment. The ministerial declaration [8] [9] identified the following key challenges: meeting basic water needs, securing food supply, protecting ecosystems, sharing water resources, managing risks, valuing water and governing water wisely.
The 2nd World Water Forum was a major event in the global water community. It helped to raise awareness of the global water crisis and to galvanize action to address the key challenges. The key challenges identified in the ministerial declaration are still relevant today, and they require urgent attention.
The 3rd World Water Forum, held in Kyoto, Shiga and Osaka, Japan, from 16 to 23 March 2003, assembled a huge number and variety of stakeholders as compared to previous editions of the forum. In addition, the debate was furthered within the context of the new commitments of meeting the goals set forth at the United Nations in New York (2000), in Bonn (2001) and then in Johannesburg (2002). [10] [11] [12]
The 3rd World Water Forum offered 351 sessions under 38 themes. [13] In addition, the "World Panel on Financing Water Infrastructure", chaired by Michel Camdessus, presented its conclusions [14] on what should be done to find adequate financing for water infrastructure and offered specific proposals on how this can be achieved, and by whom.
New concepts were introduced such as a Virtual Water Forum, [15] which consisted of about 166 interactive sessions available through Internet, and the Water Voices Project, [16] where 27,000 opinions of ordinary citizens were collected from 142 countries. The World Water Actions report [17] inventoried over 3,000 local water actions.
The 3rd World Water Forum also invited the participation of indigenous people, recognizing that indigenous land and water rights is crucial to the discussion of water interests worldwide. Indigenous people have often been excluded from discussions about clean drinking water, water sanitation, and rights to water sources, so this invitation legitimized the rights of indigenous people to help create water related policy. Their participation resulted in the signing of the Indigenous Peoples Kyoto Declaration, which centered on the rights of indigenous people to self determine usage of their own water resources. [18]
During the 4th World Water Forum in 2006 (14-22 March) in Mexico City, close to 20,000 people from throughout the world participated in 206 working sessions, where a total of 1600 local actions were presented. [19] Participants included official representatives and delegates from 140 countries including 120 mayors and 150 legislators, and 78 ministers. Nearly 1400 journalists were present. [20]
Noteworthy events included:
Over 30,000 participants from 182 countries took part in the 5th World Water Forum, from 16 to 22 March 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey. More than 400 organisations prepared together over 100 sessions organised according to 6 themes, 7 regional reports and 5 high-level panels. [27]
For the first time in the World Water Forum’s history, a heads of state [28] meeting was organized. In addition, the ministerial statement [29] and water guide [30] were developed through a series of four preparatory meetings of government officials, in which thematic and regional coordinators and representatives of major groups participated. Further exchanges with stakeholder representatives were organized through ministerial roundtable discussions during the 5th World Water Forum.
Local and regional authorities in attendance produced the Istanbul Water Consensus [31] [32] (IWC), a new compact for local and regional authorities willing to commit to adapting their water infrastructure and services to the emerging challenges they are facing. It was also the first time that over 250 parliamentarians from around the world jointly started to address water issues.
In addition to the session programme, a number of high-level panels were organized on issues such as water-related disasters, [33] sanitation, the water-food-energy nexus and financing. Following the 5th World Water Forum, the panel on water and climate change continued its efforts to bring forth its recommendations to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change process and CoP-15 discussions held in Copenhagen in December 2009.
For more detailed information on the 5th World Water Forum, a collection of the official outcomes and statements can be found in the Global Water Framework. [34] This compilation presents all the major official documents of the forum: heads of state appeal; ministerial statement; Istanbul Water Guide; ministerial roundtable reports; parliamentarians for water; Istanbul water consensus; compilation of thematic commitments; regional outputs; children’s declaration; and youth declaration.
Another publication, Water at a Crossroads, [35] contains a cross-cutting analysis of the key decisions and major themes addressed at the Forum, including climate change; disasters; water, food and energy; MDGs; finance; public/private management; governance; transboundary issues; the right to water; and data availability.
Civil society protest was considerable, notably about the negative effects of dams. Blockades and marches were organised, and Turkey deported peaceful protesters. [36]
The 6th WWF was held in Marseille, France, from March 12 to 17, 2012. There were, again, extensive protests against the greenwashing of water commodification by corporations and the effects of dams. [37] It was also criticized for not explicitly recognizing a human right to water and sanitation, as was done by the UN General Assembly in 2010. [38]
The 7th World Water Forum on the theme of "Water for Our Future" took place from 12 to 17 April 2015 in Daegu–Gyeongbuk, South Korea.
The 8th World Water Forum took place in Brasilia, Brazil, from 18 to 23 March 2018, the first one in South America.
The 9th edition of the World Water Forum will be held for the first time in West Africa in 2022. The 9th World Water Forum will take place in Dakar, Senegal. This 9th edition was initially scheduled for 2021, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The venues for the forum will be the Abdou DIOUF International Conference Centre and Dakar Arena. Eventually, it was decided that the event will be an in-person event and not a hybrid or online event.
The 10th edition of the World Water Forum will be held for the first time in Southeast Asia in 2024. The 10th World Water Forum will take place in Bali, Indonesia. The venues for the forum will be the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, Nusa Dua.
Two water-related prizes have been awarded during successive World Water Forums: The King Hassan II Great World Water Prize and the Kyoto World Water Grand Prize. Two additional prizes were awarded during the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul: the Turkish Republic Prime Minister's Water Prize and the Compromiso México Water Prize.
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was a two-phase United Nations-sponsored summit on information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society that took place in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis. WSIS Forums have taken place periodically since then. One of the Summit's chief aims is to bridge the global digital divide separating rich countries from poor countries by increasing internet accessibility in the developing world. The conferences established 17 May as World Information Society Day.
International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic or human development on an international scale. It is the basis for international classifications such as developed country, developing country and least developed country, and for a field of practice and research that in various ways engages with international development processes. There are, however, many schools of thought and conventions regarding which are the exact features constituting the "development" of a country.
In the United Nations, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals for the year 2015 created following the Millennium Summit, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration. These were based on the OECD DAC International Development Goals agreed by Development Ministers in the "Shaping the 21st Century Strategy". The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) succeeded the MDGs in 2016.
World Water Day is an annual United Nations (UN) observance day held on the 22nd of March that highlights the importance of fresh water. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The theme of each year focuses on topics relevant to clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), which is in line with the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6. The UN World Water Development Report (WWDR) is released each year around World Water Day.
The Arctic Council is a high-level intergovernmental forum that addresses issues faced by the Arctic governments and the indigenous people of the Arctic region. At present, eight countries exercise sovereignty over the lands within the Arctic Circle, and these constitute the member states of the council: Canada; Denmark; Finland; Iceland; Norway; Russia; Sweden; and the United States. Other countries or national groups can be admitted as observer states, while organizations representing the concerns of indigenous peoples can be admitted as indigenous permanent participants.
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a multistakeholder governance group for policy dialogue on issues of Internet governance. It brings together all stakeholders in the Internet governance debate, whether they represent governments, the private sector or civil society, including the technical and academic community, on an equal basis and through an open and inclusive process. The establishment of the IGF was formally announced by the United Nations Secretary-General in July 2006. It was first convened in October–November 2006 and has held an annual meeting since then.
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is the UN's central coordinating body for matters relating to the concerns and rights of the world's indigenous peoples. There are more than 370 million indigenous people in some 70 countries worldwide.
Sustainable sanitation is a sanitation system designed to meet certain criteria and to work well over the long-term. Sustainable sanitation systems consider the entire "sanitation value chain", from the experience of the user, excreta and wastewater collection methods, transportation or conveyance of waste, treatment, and reuse or disposal. The Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) includes five features in its definition of "sustainable sanitation": Systems need to be economically and socially acceptable, technically and institutionally appropriate and protect the environment and natural resources.
Action for Global Health was formed by 15 non-governmental organisations and charities in 2006. Current partners are based in Brussels, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and the UK and has over 30 member NGOs across these countries. Interact Worldwide provides the overall co-ordination for the network.
Drinking water supply and sanitation in Benin has been subject to considerable progress since the 1990s, in particular in rural areas, where coverage is higher than in many other African countries, and almost all development partners follow a national demand-responsive strategy, which has been adopted in 1992. New strategies to increase water supply in rural and urban areas have been adopted in 2005 and 2006. Tariffs in urban and rural areas are usually high enough to cover the costs for operation and maintenance.
The Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation by WHO and UNICEF is the official United Nations mechanism tasked with monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal Number 6 since 2016.
The World Forestry Congress (WFC) is the largest and most significant gathering of the world's forestry sector and it has been held every six years since 1926 under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, organized by the government of the host country. It is a forum for the sharing of knowledge and experience regarding the conservation, management and use of the world's forests, and covers such issues as international dialogue, socio-economic and institutional aspects, and forest policies.
The Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF) was launched on March 28, 2009. The MEF is intended to facilitate a candid dialogue among major developed and developing economies, help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome at the December UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, and advance the exploration of concrete initiatives and joint ventures that increase the supply of clean energy while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Denmark, in its capacity as the President of the December 2009 Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the United Nations have also participated in this dialogue along with Observers.
The Fifth East Asia Summit was held in Hanoi, Vietnam on October 28-31, 2010. The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a pan-Asia forum held annually by the leaders of 16 countries in the East Asian region. EAS meetings are held after annual ASEAN leaders' meetings. The participants issued a Chairman's Statement called the Hanoi Declaration commemorating the fifth anniversary of the EAS and summarizing the summit's discussion.
The International Day of Forests was established on the 21st day of March, by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on November 28, 2013. Each year, various events celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests, and trees outside forests, for the benefit of current and future generations. Countries are encouraged to undertake efforts to organize local, national, and international activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns, on International Day of Forests. The Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization, facilitates the implementation of such events in collaboration with governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and international, regional and subregional organizations. International Day of Forests was observed for the first time on March 21, 2013.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They were created with the aim of "peace and prosperity for people and the planet..." – while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests. The SDGs highlight the connections between the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development. Sustainability is at the center of the SDGs.
The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) was a United Nations-hosted organization contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 6, Target 6.2 on sanitation and hygiene. It was established in 1990 and closed at the end of 2020. WSSCC advocated for improved sanitation and hygiene, with a focus on the needs of women, girls and people in vulnerable situations.
The Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDG-F) was an international cooperation mechanism committed to eradicating poverty and inequality and to accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) worldwide. Its aim was to improve livelihoods and to influence public policy, which made it responsive to the needs of the poorest populations.
Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, took place in Quito, Ecuador, from 17 – 20 October 2016.
The African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) (French: Conseil des Ministres Africains Chargés de L'eau), is considered by the African Union as the support mechanism for its Specialised Technical Committee (STC) to drive achievement in the water and sanitation sectors. It is a regional development network of 55 African countries that advances socioeconomic development and the abolition of poverty through effective cooperation, management of water supply services, and provision of the continent's water resources to its members.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)