JAKARTA: The 10th World Water Forum, a gathering aimed at fostering international collaboration in global water management, opened on Indonesia’s island of Bali on Monday.
The World Water Forum will run until May 25, as hundreds of international participants join the conference to address global water and sanitation challenges.
The 10th edition held under the theme “Water for Shared Prosperity” saw several heads of state and ministers in attendance, including Tajikistan Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Fiji President Wiliame Katonivere, and Saudi Minister of Environment Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli.
President Joko Widodo called attention to the “central role” of water for human civilizations as he opened the forum on Monday.
“Water scarcity can also trigger war and become the source of disasters. Too much water or too little water both can turn into problems for the world,” Widodo said in his opening speech.
“The 10th World Water Forum is very strategic to revitalize real collective action and commitment to realize an integrated management of water resources … Water isn’t merely a natural product, but a product of collaboration that unites us and therefore we must have collaborative efforts to preserve it.”
Loic Fauchon, president of the World Water Council, also called for global action.
“This 10th World Water Forum should mark the turning point towards concrete action,” he said.
The World Water Forum is held every three years and organized by the World Water Council and a host country.
This year, the multi-day event will also see Saudi Arabia participate in a special session focusing on its role as the next host of the international conference under the theme “Action for a Better Tomorrow.”
The Kingdom will host the 11th World Water Forum in 2027 in Riyadh.
