More than 700 political leaders, elected officials, diplomats, water experts and operators, researchers and representatives of civil society gathered June 27 to 29 to identify and prioritize the most pressing water issues and outline the “Road to the 8th Forum.” This event will include a schedule of international preparatory events for the World Water Forum March 18 to 23, 2018, in Brasília, Brazil.
This World Water Forum kickoff had the highest recorded attendance, suggesting that this international collaboration has not only stronger concerns for water, but also recognition of shared responsibilities and need for cooperation among nations.
This event also marked the beginning of two years of an open multi-stakeholder preparatory process until the 2018 World Water Forum. Its ambition is to catalyze changes in the face of threats as well as opportunities. The Political Commission, the Regional Commission, the Thematic Commission, a Sustainability Focus Group and a Citizens Forum will work to design the global framework of the 8th World Water Forum.
“Water, irreplaceable resource, must be shared between many uses and users, each of whom wants security,” said Benedito Braga, president of the World Water Council and secretary of state for Sanitation and Water Resources for the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. “We all have a shared responsibility in order to achieve security, sustainability and resilience tomorrow.”
“Brasilia was born under the sign of the new and when you look at the future, the city needs to remain at the forefront,” said Rodrigo Rollemberg, governor of Brasília. “In this same sign, having the Forum here is a favorable opportunity so that the city reflects on its own needs and capabilities, but also register in an innovative global agenda with the understanding of water management as a safe path to sustainability."
Adds Vicente Andreu, director president of Agencia Nacional de Aguas (ADA): “Brazil will have the opportunity to share with the world water community the strength of our institutional framework, with a strong participation of the civil society, due to our decentralized and participative legislation. It is important to emphasize the opportunity that we will have to raise water to a new level, a higher level, calling all stakeholder to discuss water not only as a cross cutting element, but also as a fundamental element for our development.”
The overarching theme of the 8th World Water Forum is "Sharing Water." It is organized by the World Water Council, the governments of Brazil and Brasília and conveys the many aspects of sharing water: sharing knowledge and experience, sharing transboundary duties, sharing responsibilities, sharing a common vision, sharing best practices and sharing lessons learned—especially when the resource is scarce or overwhelming, when infrastructures are misfit and the investments absent.
The World Water Forum’s sustainability Focus Group it is responsible for reflecting on several water themes from the different sectors of society and considering the three pillars of sustainability—social, environmental, economic—as well as the principles and broadly accepted concepts established by the main international agreements, including the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Its action goal is to contribute to the development and adoption of more sustainable water management models and practices by current and future generations.
Source: World Water Council
