Theme for 5th World Water Forum is “Bridging Divides for Water”
Over 25,000 participants took part in the 5th World Water Forum, held in March 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey. This makes it the world's biggest water-related event. The Forum is organized by the World Water Council.
Two hundred and fifty Local and Regional Authorities from forty-three countries were represented in Istanbul. The Local and Regional Authorities’ political process produced the Istanbul Water Consensus (IWC), a new compact for Local and Regional Authorities willing to commit to adapting their water infrastructure and services to the emerging challenges they are facing, such as climate change, rapid urban growth, depletion and pollution of water resources or aging infrastructure.
The 58 signatories of the IWC commited to prepare action plans to analyse these challenges and cope with them, to set up a series of indicators and to report on the progress at the next World Water Forum. In addition, 10 major cities, including Vienna, Lausanne, Incheon, Paris and Buenos Aires, will continue to build on the momentum generated thus far on specific issues in their special role as “champion cities” for the IWC.
About the World Water Council
The World Water Council is an international multi-stakeholder platform. It was established in 1996 on the initiative of renowned water specialists and international organizations, in response to an increasing concern about world water issues from the global community.
The World Water Council's mission is “to promote awareness, build political commitment and trigger action on critical water issues at all levels, including the highest decision-making level, to facilitate the efficient conservation, protection, development, planning, management and use of water in all its dimensions on an environmentally sustainable basis for the benefit of all life on earth.”
By providing a platform to encourage debates and exchanges of experience, the Council aims to reach a common strategic vision on water resources and water services management amongst all stakeholders in the water community. In the process, the Council also catalyses initiatives and activities, whose results converge toward its flagship product, the World Water Forum.
Posted June 2009