By: Agung Wijayanto )*
Indonesia is the first Southeast Asian country to host the World Water Forum (WWF) or World Water Forum on 18-25 May 2024 which will be attended by around 30-50 thousand participants from various countries. WWF is the largest international meeting involving various stakeholders in the water resources sector, ranging from political leaders, governments, multilateral institutions, politicians, academics, civil society, business actors, and so on.
The 10th WWF in 2024 carries six main sub-themes, namely water security and prosperity; water for humans and nature; disaster risk reduction and management; governance, cooperation, and hydro-diplomacy; sustainable water finance; and knowledge and innovation .
In this forum, Indonesia also pushed for ministerial declarations regarding water resources, climate, food, energy and health. Indonesia is also encouraging the establishment of a Center of Excellence on Water and Climate Resilience. This forum also has three components, namely thematic processes related to science from climate, water, food, energy and health, regional processes and political processes .
So the results of this scientific discussion are detailed, integrated with political discussions so that scientific thinking can be implemented in society. And there will also be discussions on regional processes based on best practices in regions throughout the world, so it is hoped that the output or results of these discussions will be easier to execute, turning into policies for countries.
Minister of Communication and Information (Menkominfo), Budi Arie Setiadi, said that his party fully supports the 10th WWF, because water is a basic need and part of human rights. This support was realized by the Directorate General of Information and Public Communication (IKP) Kominfo by carrying out promotions and increasing awareness and active involvement of the community in organizing this international event .
Meanwhile, the Director General of Information and Public Communication (Dirjen IKP) of the Ministry of Communication and Information, Usman Kansong, said that his party was responsible as the coordinator or person in charge of media, documentation and promotion as well as to facilitate the media in covering the event.
A number of facilities will be prepared by Kominfo to facilitate the work of journalists in disseminating information about this international forum. The Media Center will be equipped with facilities for journalists to report comfortably, including working space, media booth, press conference and media briefing room .
Apart from that, the Media Center also provides press releases for activities and other information related to the 10th WWF for media who cannot come to cover it in person. The coverage material that will be prepared will be in the form of release text and content in audio-visual form from the host broadcaster .
It is estimated that 2,000 journalists will attend to cover WWF 2024 because the forum involves 170 countries and is scheduled to be attended by several heads of state. Meanwhile, registration for access to coverage will be opened by the Ministry of Communication and Information three months before the event (H-3 months).
The Ministry of Communication and Information is also preparing telecommunications infrastructure in the form of high-speed internet connections to support journalists’ work at the Media Center. The existence of this internet network will make it easier for the media to send news to their respective offices, both within the country and abroad.
Meanwhile, the Head of the TNI Information Center (Kapuspen), Maj. Gen. Nugraha Gumilar, said that the ranks of the Indonesian National Army (TNI) had deployed 12,000 combined personnel from the Army (AD), Air Force (Air Force) and Navy (AL) to secure the WWF event. -10 in Bali. This joint force is tasked with providing security and health care there.
Joint personnel will start providing security at the location one week before the event takes place. This is done so that personnel can monitor and map locations that must be closely guarded. With these strict monitoring efforts, it is hoped that WWF activities can run smoothly and safely.
On the other hand, Deputy for Coordination of Environmental and Forestry Management at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Kemenko Marves), Nani Hendiarti, said that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Coordinating Minister for Marves Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan were processing invitations for around 30,000 people, President of the World Water Council (WWC) Loïc Fauchon, 33 heads of state, 250 international organizations who are members of WWCl so they can attend WWF 2024 Bali.
The Directorate General of Public Works and Housing Infrastructure Financing (DJPI), Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (Ministry of PUPR) held a series of workshop series in the framework of the Road to the 10th World Water Forum 2024. The workshop was held by DJPI, Ministry of PUPR as a side event in support The 10th WWF.
By choosing Bali as the venue for the WWF meeting, we welcome this decision as a form of world appreciation for Indonesia, Bali in particular. Through this forum, a number of parties are looking for solutions to challenges in the water resources (SDA) sector in the future. The water problem is currently a strategic issue throughout the world, at the same time relevant stakeholders are starting to look for solutions based on the activities of the World Water Council (WWC), which was founded in 1996.
The struggle for Indonesia to be the host and Bali to be the venue for WWF 2024 has been a very difficult struggle through a long process. Therefore, stakeholders are involved in contributing to the preparations for the WWF event in Bali. Collaboration across ministries/institutions/agencies is really needed to show Indonesia’s readiness and seriousness, as the host country , in organizing WWF.
)* The author is an observer of environmental issues
