10th WWF Officially Opened, President Jokowi Emphasizes that Indonesia is Ready to Collaborate to Overcome the Water Crisis
Bali – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has officially opened the 10th World Water Forum (WWF) Grand Meeting in Nusa Dua Bali, Indonesia, Monday (20/5).
“By saying bismillah hirohman nirohim, I officially declare the 10th World Water Forum open,” said President Jokowi.
On that occasion, the President also welcomed the state leaders and invited guests who attended the 10th WWF in Bali.
“It is an honor for Indonesia to be trusted to host the 10th World Water Forum to strengthen joint commitment and formulate concrete actions for inclusive and sustainable water management,” he said.
President Jokowi said that of the 72% of the earth’s surface covered by water, only 1% can be accessed and used for drinking water and sanitation purposes.
“Even in 2050, 500 million small farmers who contribute 80% of the world’s food are predicted to be most vulnerable to drought,” he said.
Furthermore, the Head of State explained that without water there is no food, no peace, no life. Therefore, water must be managed well because every drop is very valuable.
Apart from that, the President also said that water is a source of life. Water is also a symbol of balance and harmony. However, if not managed properly, water can also be a source of disaster.
In his remarks, the President said that Indonesian people have a cultural value towards water, one of which is the Subak irrigation system in Bali which has been practiced since the 11th century, and is recognized as a world cultural heritage. Apart from that, for the Balinese people, water is a glory that contains spiritual and cultural values that must be managed together.
“This is in line with our theme this year, namely water for shared prosperity which can be interpreted into 3 basic principles, namely avoiding competition, prioritizing equality and inclusive cooperation and supporting peace and shared prosperity. “Where all three can only be realized with one keyword, namely collaboration,” explained Jokowi.
According to the Head of State, collaboration has been the key to Indonesia’s success in restoring the Citarum River and developing green energy, floating solar panels in the Cirata Reservoir, which is the largest in Southeast Asia and the 3rd in the world.
President Jokowi also hopes that this meeting in Bali can strengthen the world’s commitment to overcoming global water challenges.
“By gathering together in Bali today, Indonesia certainly hopes that the world can join hands on an ongoing basis to strengthen the commitment to collaboration in overcoming global challenges related to water,” he concluded.
