UN Secretary-General Calls for Urgent Action on Water Crisis at World Water Forum in Bali
Bali, Indonesia – UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a powerful video message on 20 May 2024 at the tenth World Water Forum high-level meeting, urging global leaders to address the escalating water crisis. The event, organized by the Government of Indonesia and the World Water Council, brought together experts and policymakers to discuss solutions for the pressing challenges surrounding water and sanitation.
“Water is life,” Guterres emphasized, highlighting its fundamental role in maintaining healthy people, ecosystems, and biodiversity. He stressed that this year’s theme, which underscores water’s importance to shared prosperity, is more relevant than ever.
Guterres painted a stark picture of the current threats to the world’s water resources, pointing to needless competition, careless consumption, and reckless pollution as primary culprits. He noted that climate change exacerbates these issues, driving water temperatures to unprecedented levels, melting glaciers, raising sea levels, and diminishing river flows. The consequences, he warned, are severe and include droughts, crop failures, malnutrition, disease, and natural disasters.
Despite the grim outlook, Guterres expressed optimism about the growing awareness and proactive measures being taken by governments worldwide. He praised the forum as a critical platform for discussing comprehensive solutions in areas such as disaster risk reduction, water governance, financial investment, and innovative practices.
In his message, Guterres reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to addressing the water crisis. He announced that the UN will launch a system-wide strategy on water and sanitation in July, following the momentum built at last year’s UN Water Conference. Looking ahead, he highlighted the importance of the upcoming UN Water Conferences in 2026 and 2028 as pivotal moments for global cooperation and progress.
“We need to put water at the center of all our efforts on climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development,” Guterres urged. He called on the international community to unite and take decisive action to protect and manage this vital resource.
The Secretary-General’s message serves as a clarion call to prioritize water issues in the global agenda, emphasizing that collective action is essential to safeguard the planet’s most precious resource for future generations.
About World Water Forum
The World Water Forum is the largest international gathering in the water sector involving various stakeholders, which has been co-hosted by the World Water Council and a host city. The Forum is held every three years and has been taking place since 1997. The World Water Forum is not just a conference: it includes a three-year preparation phase (preparatory phase), a one-week event (event phase), and a presentation of the results (synthesis phase) with ongoing support for collective action.
The Forum brings together participants from all levels and areas, including politics, multilateral institutions, academia, civil society and the private sector, among others. Over the years, the number of people participating in the Forum has grown from a few hundred to tens of thousands, from both the international community and host countries.
On 18th to 25th of May 2024, the heads of state, the heads of international organizations, high level government officials, experts, scholars, entrepreneurs and economists from all over the world will share their knowledges, experiences, and practices regarding a wide range of topics related to water.
Venue of World Water Forum
The World Water Forum, organized by the World Water Council, has been held in various locations around the world since its inception. Here is a list of the forums, their venues, and dates:
- 1st World Water Forum: Marrakech, Morocco – March 21-23, 1997
- 2nd World Water Forum: The Hague, Netherlands – March 17-22, 2000
- 3rd World Water Forum: Kyoto, Osaka, and Shiga, Japan – March 16-23, 2003
- 4th World Water Forum: Mexico City, Mexico – March 16-22, 2006
- 5th World Water Forum: Istanbul, Turkey – March 16-22, 2009
- 6th World Water Forum: Marseille, France – March 12-17, 2012
- 7th World Water Forum: Daegu and Gyeongbuk, South Korea – April 12-17, 2015
- 8th World Water Forum: Brasília, Brazil – March 18-23, 2018
- 9th World Water Forum: Dakar, Senegal – March 21-26, 2022
- 10th World Water Forum: Bali, Indonesia – May 18-23, 2024
These forums provide a platform for discussion and collaboration on global water issues, bringing together stakeholders from various sectors to address challenges and promote sustainable water management practices.
Observer Voice is the one stop site for National, International news, Editor’s Choice, Art/culture contents, Quotes and much more. We also cover historical contents. Historical contents includes World History, Indian History, and what happened today. The website also covers Entertainment across the India and World.