The conference that opened yesterday will continue on the tourist island until May 25. President Joko Widodo took the opportunity to introduce his successor, Prabowo Subianto. Several sessions are dedicated to sharing water resources to build peace.
Jakarta () – Until May 25, the island of Bali will host the tenth World Water Forum, dedicated to the theme “Water as shared prosperity”. The event, organized by the non-profit association of the World Water Council, will be attended by dozens of foreign delegations, members of civil society, representatives of the academic world and businessmen, including the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, who is In Indonesia to launch the Starlink internet service, which will be used by three health centers.
Participants have been invited to share their knowledge and best practices on a wide range of topics, including water conservation, access to drinking water and sanitation services, food and energy security, and natural disaster mitigation.
Indonesia is the third Asian country to host the Forum after Japan and South Korea. At the inauguration, which took place yesterday, traditional Balinese water purification ceremonies called “Rahina Tumpek Uye” and “Segara Kerthi”of Hindu origin.
The Indonesian president took the opportunity to present Prabowo Subianto as his successor. In his keynote speech he said that by 2050, around 500 million smallholder farmers, who provide 80% of global food production, are expected to be the most affected by drought. “Although 72% of the planet is covered by water, only 1% is accessible to human beings as a source of life,” explained the outgoing president of Indonesia. “Without water, there is no food or drink, there will be no peace or life. If there is no water, there is no life or growth,” added Jokowi (as Widodo is called in Indonesia), stressing that “every drop of water must be administered with seriousness and attention”, otherwise “harmony is put at risk.” between people and countries”.
The president of the General Council of the United Nations, Dennis Francis, confirmed that cooperation in the management of water resources is essential to promote international peace. The president of the World Water Council, Loic Fauchon, stated that “it is not enough to do good water management, but we must be patriots of water to guarantee its availability in the interest of world peace.”
The World Water Forum is the main international meeting on water resources and has been held every three years since 1997. Before the event, which usually lasts a week, there is a preparation stage, and then a synthesis stage and continuous support for action collective.
At the last conference, the World Water Council introduced a political segment dedicated to water basins in collaboration with some international agencies whose objective is to promote dialogue between the parties for the equitable management of resources, an essential tool not only for peace but also for the achievement of the United Nations sustainable development goals related to water.
Indonesia, as the host country, will present some topics that it considers important, including integrated water management on small islands and the proposal to celebrate World Lakes Day. “The lake is a source of energy and plays a fundamental role in flood control,” explained Endra S. Atmawidjaja, a member of the Indonesian delegation, noting that some models implemented by Indonesia could serve as an example for other countries: “Among other things, the way in which we have managed to guarantee drinking water and access to quality hygienic services,” he commented.
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