The 3rd World Water Forum

The World Water Council (WWC), an international think-tank for water issues, established through the initiative of water specialists, the academic community and international organizations, is the sponsor of the World Water Forum series.

The Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) is a founding member of Water Associations Worldwide (WAW), a global network of working water quality practitioners including environmental engineers and scientists. WAW organized a session for the World Water Forum in conjunction with the International Water Association. The session’s theme revolved around the importance of involvement by water technical professionals at the local, regional and international level in water policy development and implementation. Jerry Sehlke of INEEL represented EWRI by preparing a presentation for the WAW session (PowerPoint 1.4MB) while Governing Board Member Dale Jacobson represented EWRI at the Water Associations Worldwide meeting.

The 3rd World Water Forum was held in Kyoto, Shiga and Osaka, Japan, from March 16 to March 23, 2003 with attendance of 24,000 people from 182 countries. There were 351 separate sessions on 38 interlocking themes dealing with water, especially how to bring safe water and sanitation to the entire world. The key issues that they addressed revolved around balancing increasing human requirements for adequate water supplies and improved health and sanitation with food production, transportation, energy and environmental needs. Participants of the eightday forum made more than 100 new commitments on water. The Organizing Committee issued a preliminary Forum Statement, in which the Committee agreed that they will be "solemnly committed to facing the global water challenges and to meeting the goals set forth at the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in New York (2000)" – cutting in half the proportion of poor people without secure access to water and sanitation by 2015. Key issues outlined in the Forum Statement include:

• Safe clean water for all
• Financing
• Governance
• Participation
• Capacity building
• Regional issues

Proposed actions include: creating global awareness and political support; building bridges for the gap between the food and environment sectors; and local action including education on integrated water resources management for all stakeholders.

The 2nd World Water Forum was held in The Hague, Netherlands in March 2000. The 2nd World Water Forum came to a successful conclusion thanks to the efforts of the Dutch Government and water related institutions and organizations. Attendance was 5,700 people genuinely concerned about water from all over the world gathered for active discussion of water issues and the World Water Vision was presented. A Ministerial Conference, with the participation of 114 ministers and officials from 130 countries, was held to coincide with the Forum and adopted the Declaration of The Hague. A Framework for Action that delineated a strategy for the realization of the World Water Vision by 2025 and prioritizes actions to that end was presented at the 2nd World Water Forum. The World Water Fair was held parallel to the 2nd World Water Forum.

The 1st World Water Forum was held in Marrakech, Morocco in March 1997. At this Forum the WWC was given the mandate of developing a vision for Water, Life and the Environment in the 21st Century.