Turkey to host 5th World Water Forum - Jordan Environment Watch

By Daniel Zimmer- World Water Council Executive Director

The Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources signed an agreement with the World Water Council in Ankara recently to host the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul, that takes place in March 2009.

Building on the success of the 4th World Water Forum held in Mexico City last March, which boasted over 15,000 visitors from every continent, Istanbul was selected as the host of the 5th World Water Forum from six possible candidates following an extensive process.

With a history rich in water resources, culture and technology, Turkey presented a very strong candidature, especially due to the tri-partite cooperation established between the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

The two-year preparatory process which will supply new and relevant content for debate and proposals involving representatives from numerous international institutions and ministries will be launched at the official kick-off meeting on 19 and 20 March in Istanbul.

The 5th Forum will revolve around the overarching theme of “Bridging Divides for Water”, underlining not only the geographical crossroads between Europe and Asia, the Middle East and Africa, North and South, but also the conceptual barriers between developed and traditional water cultures, between rich and poor, between developed and developing regions of the world.

The concept of “bridging divides” implies creating enhanced understanding and improved information exchange between and amongst water users, decision makers, and water practitioners, at local, regional and global levels, which is, indeed, key to solving water problems. Building bridges for exchange between these contrasting perspectives will provide an opportunity to rise above differences and bring various sectors and positions closer together. The 5th Forum also presents an important occasion to discuss and push for action to achieve the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals concerning water by 2015.

The World Water Council has been working arduously for ten years to identify, openly debate and raise awareness for issues related to water resources and services. The Council’s triennial World Water Forum was conceived to confront and overcome the economic, political, institutional, educational and technical challenges faced by the earth’s population with regard to the world’s major water issues.

The Forum focuses on key issues, and, where possible, builds on concrete actions presented at previous Fora held in Marrakesh, The Hague, Kyoto and Mexico City. In addition to enabling exchange between different subject areas and stakeholders throughout the world, it also serves as a tool to reach out to the rest of the world, creating greater awareness for water issues at every level and in every region.

For, the outlook is bleak: 15 people die due to water-related illnesses each minute, most of them children; and three times more people worldwide could face water shortages within the next two decades. The time has come to scale up what works on the local level, to bridge the divides that keep populations from accessing adequate water supply and sanitation: Istanbul, 2009.