By : Made Agus Sanjaya )*
The government continues to finalize all infrastructure and other preparations ahead of the 10th World Water Forum (WWF) grand event. One important aspect that the Government continues to prepare is the Media Center which is a working space for journalists in covering and reporting on the World Water Forum, where this needs to receive broad appreciation from all of society, including journalists.
The 10th World Water Forum or WWF will be held in Indonesia. This time, Bali Province was again chosen as the host of this prestigious event. The existence of this forum is also considered to be an important momentum for discussing, sharing knowledge and finding solutions to global challenges related to water resources.
The 10th WWF event will be held on 18 – 25 May 2024 in the Nusa Dua area of Bali and will carry the theme “Water for Shared Prosperity”. There are 230 thematic forum sessions, 55 side events, and 10 special sessions at this event. The event will also present thousands of people from hundreds of countries around the world. As for Indonesia’s choice as host, it was decided at the 9th WWF event which was held in Dakar, Senegal.
In welcoming this big event, the role of the Media Center is very crucial. The reason is, the existence of the Media Center is not only a gathering place for journalists, but also a “work space” for journalists to carry out various journalistic works and to stay in touch and exchange ideas with other journalists from various other parts of the world.
Furthermore, the Media Center at a large event like WWF is not only a place to present information, but is also the heart of communication and dissemination of messages. Considering the importance of the existence of the Media Center, the Government continues to speed up the readiness of various things, so that journalists can work smoothly and comfortably.
Regarding this matter, the Ministry of Communication and Information has prepared the 10th WWF Media Center at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC), Nusa Dua, Bali Province. This information was conveyed directly by the Director General of Information and Public Communication of the Ministry of Communication and Information, Usman Kansong, to the media crew some time ago. In his statement, Usman Kansong also said that the 10th WWF Media Center would be able to accommodate up to a thousand people.
The Director General of IKP of the Ministry of Communication and Information added that the Media Center has various facilities to support the work of journalists covering the 10th WWF, such as fast internet access and WiFi provided by national cellular telecommunications service providers.
Furthermore, Director General Usman Kansong explained that providing telecommunications infrastructure facilities in Bali for journalists and WWF 2024 participants or delegates was not considered to be a significant challenge because BNDCC has a wealth of experience organizing international events.
Specifically for the internet, the Director General of IKP also ensures the reliability of internet connectivity for media crew. Because according to him, the available internet at the Media Center has a super fast speed category, reaching 10 Gps. The speed is the same as during the ASEAN and G20 events that have passed. The capacity is very good and has no problems.
He also said that the Ministry of Communication and Information had coordinated with BSSN to participate in maintaining cyber security during the 10th WWF event. According to the Director General of IKP, Usman Kansong, cooperation with BSSN has been established at various international events such as the AIS Summit and the G20 Summit. Because according to him, the government received many cyber attacks that tried to disrupt the event.
Infrastructure readiness, especially in the Media Center, is one of the keys to smooth media coverage of the event. In today’s digital era, fast and stable internet connectivity is a basic need.
The Indonesian government also has a wealth of experience in holding Media Centers, so the 10th WWF Media Center will be equipped with sophisticated audiovisuals to support presentations and press conferences. By having adequate Media Center infrastructure ready, this will be an important foundation in ensuring that important messages related to water can be conveyed effectively to the wider community.
It cannot be denied that strong partnerships with various related parties are the key to the success of the Media Center. In this case, collaboration between government, journalists and the private sector is very important. Therefore, through solid collaboration, the Media Center can amplify voices and messages related to water issues, thereby creating greater awareness in society.
In welcoming the 10th WWF, the readiness of the Media Center is the main key in ensuring that important messages related to water can reach all parties involved. With adequate infrastructure, a competent team and strong partnerships, the Media Center has great potential to become an agent of change that drives real action in global water resources management.
The Government’s commitment to providing a Media Center that is proportional, magnificent and comfortable for journalists’ work is certainly worthy of appreciation. Therefore, it is hoped that all parties can maintain and support comfort at the Media Center so that journalistic work can continue to be carried out, and messages about water management can be massively disseminated to people throughout the world.
)* The author is an independent journalist, living in Bali