Road to World Water Forum 2024
Indonesia is ready to host the 2024 World Water Forum (WWF). The country held the Kick-off Meeting in Jakarta on 15-16 February 2023 and gathered more than 1.400 participants consisted of the board of governors, private and public sectors, universities, and young generations to solve water-related issues. The forum intends to result in a binding global commitment to take action to solve water issues and achieve SDG 6 targets, which is the right to clean water and sanitation.
The upcoming 2024 World Water Forum (WWF) with the theme "Water for Shared Prosperity" is expected to open up opportunities for cooperation in the field of water resources management as well as to bring economic impact for Indonesia. The government is targeting in person attendance of 17,000 participants and 30,000 visitors from 172 countries to the 10th WWF in Bali, 18-24May 2024.
In the opening ceremony, Indonesian Minister of Public Works and Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, emphasized the urgency of taking immediate action to solve water challenges because the impacts are real. Moreover, the World Water Council President, Loïc Fauchon, said, "Let's spare water to share the prosperity". While it is not too late to act, we must act quickly. Water preservation should be our primary focus to provide clean water and sanitation.
The forum is a more than 2-year process of developing political commitments, thematic solutions, and regional responses. These three processes are closely interlinked based on the common condition that the water community is facing and shared vision and enablers. The kick-off meeting of 10th WWF consisted of many activities, one of the interesting one is the breakout session based on the thematic framework which are (1) Water for Humans and Nature; (2) Water Security and Prosperity; (3) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management; (4) Cooperation and Hydro-diplomacy; (5) Water Innovative Finance; and (6) Knowledge and Innovation.
Apart from higher-level sessions, the Kick-off Meeting also gives a space for youth to advocate what they envision for the forum next year through a Youth Mobilization Meeting as a side event to the meeting. It shows that the young generation shall be active in the global conversation since they are future leaders.
Written by: The Water Agency/Elvira
