7th World Water Forum is 300 days away

South Korea, 24 June 2014 – With its core value of “implementation,” the 7^th World Water Forum will take place in Daegu & Gyeongbuk of Korea from April 12 to 17, 2015. The World Water Forum is the largest water-related event organized by the World Water Council every three years.

The 7^th edition of the world’s largest water event will gather over 35,000 participants from the international water community: academics, research institutions, enterprises, professional networks, governments and policy-makers, IGOs and NGOs, as well as representatives from various fields such as agriculture, food or energy.

The water crisis has become a key issue on the international stage. For instance, in the Global Risks 2014 Report by the World Economic Forum in January 2014, it was listed as one of ten major risk factors threatening the world economy. Water-related natural disasters such as the super typhoon Haiyan that hit hard the Philippines last year has been on the rise every year. The water challenges require joint responses, not a solution at an individual country level. In this regard, the World Water Forum provides the discussion framework regarding water-related issues by mobilizing international cooperation.

A political, regional, thematic and scientific preparation

The World Water Forum consists of four Processes: the Thematic Process discusses themes and shares information; the Political Process facilitates discussions among ministers, parliamentarians and local & regional authorities in order to raise awareness about global water challenges as well as call for political will of governments, policy makers, etc.; the Regional Process provides a place for participants to discuss solutions related to water issues among neighboring countries while highlighting region-specific issues.

Adding to these three Processes, Korea proposed in its bid document to have a Science & Technology Process highlighting the importance of science and technology in resolving water-related issues. It is expected that the Science & Technology Process will contribute to encouraging the exchange of latest technologies and information and bridging the gap between developed and developing nations.

The 7^th World Water Forum will also be composed of cultural events, water co-located events, a water exhibition, and a Citizen’s Forum, including a Youth and Children’s Forum, to raise citizens’ awareness in favor of water.

Water for our Future : 16 themes, 300 sessions

More than 300 sessions under 16 overarching themes such as climate change & natural disasters, water and human rights, water and cities, IWRM (Integrated Water Resources Management), water and food, green growth, governance, and water and culture will be organized during the 7^th world Water Forum. The slogan of the 7^th Forum, “Water for Our Future,” implies that we should prepare for the future of water with concrete actions and implementation. This edition of the Forum focuses on the implementation of the solutions identified in the previous editions.

2015 : A crucial year for Water and Development

The year 2015 is highly significant because the Millennium Development Goals set in 2000 will expire and the international community will establish new goals. In this context, it is expected that the 7^th World Water Forum will discuss key agenda related to water and be the starting point for the Sustainable Development Goals, the new goals that the global community should pursue for the next 15 years.

The registration for the 7^th World Water Forum will open in August and the registration for Expo and co-located events in July through the official website (http://eng.worldwaterforum7.org/en).

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About the 7^th World Water Forum: “Water for our future”

Daegu & Gyeongbuk, Rep. of Korea, 12-17 April 2015 - The 7^th edition of the world’s largest water event will gather participants from the international water community: academics, research institutions, enterprises, professional networks, governments and policy-makers, IGOs and NGOs, as well as representatives from various fields such as agriculture, food or energy. The 7^th World Water Forum will focus on the implementation of the solutions that were identified during the 6^th edition (Marseille, France, 2012).

 The legacy the 7^th World Water Forum will therefore include:

Þ      Moving from Solutions to Implementation

Þ      Bridging the Platform of Science & Technology to Water Issues

Þ      Contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Necessitating two years of collaborative preparation with stakeholders from around the world, the Forum consists of 4 preparatory processes within a common framework , so as to catalyze collective action and positive change. These processes are Regional, Political, Thematic as well as Science and Technology. The Thematic process, overarching backbone of the Forum, is built according to 4 goals and tools:

1. Water Security for All
2. Water for Development and Prosperity
3. Water for Sustainability: Harmonizing Humans and Nature
4. Constructing Feasible Implementation Mechanisms

In addition to the thematic consultation meeting held earlier this year, regional stakeholders are mobilizing efforts all across the world via the regional preparation of Africa, the Americas, Arab region, Asia-Pacifico, Europe, Mediterranean and economically water-scarce regions.

The 7^th World Water Forum will also be composed of cultural events, water co-located events, a water exhibition, and a Citizen’s Forum, including a Youth and Children’s Forum, to raise citizens’ awareness in favor of water.

The 7^th World Water Forum is jointly organized by the World Water Council and the Republic of Korea together with the city of Daegu and the Province of Gyeongbuk. 

About the World Water Council

The World Water Council is an international organization that aims at promoting awareness, building political commitment and triggering action on critical water issues by bringing people together, through active hydro-politics, and serving as linkage between stakeholders and decision-makers.

The World Water Council, which has its headquarters in Marseille, France, was created in 1996. It brings together around 300 member organizations from more than 50 different countries.

It represents a multi-stakeholder water community including representatives from intergovernmental organizations, national governments, business sector, NGOs and water users associations, and academia.

Every three years, the World Water Council organizes the World Water Forum in close collaboration with the authorities of the host country. It is today the world largest water-related event. More than 20,000 stakeholders and decision makers from over 173 countries attended the latest edition, in a joint effort to build strong political commitment. The Council catalyzes collective action in between each World Water Forum and guarantees continuity and success from one edition to another.