Bali – Welcoming the 10th World Water Forum (WWF 2024) which will be held in Bali on 18-25 May 2024, the Indonesian government is prioritizing activities that emphasize the importance of maintaining environmental balance, especially related to water resource management.
A number of concrete steps have been taken to achieve this goal, including the construction of the first Water Museum in Tabanan Regency.
“We have registered this museum on the international water museum network,” said Expert Staff to the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) for Water Resources, Firdaus Ali when met in Bali.
The Water Museum, which was built in 2023 in the Banjar Sanggulan area, Banjar Anyar Village, Kediri District, Tabanan, aims to support the implementation of WWF 2024. It is hoped that this museum will be one of the locations for the WWF 2024 delegation to visit, along with other natural tourist attractions such as Lake Batur.
The Indonesian government invited 44 heads of state/government and 168 ministers from various countries to attend the forum. As many as 50,000 delegates from various countries around the world are expected to participate in WWF 2024 in Bali.
According to the Expert Staff of the Minister of PUPR for Water Resources, Firdaus Ali, Indonesia wants to bring water as a source of growth and shared prosperity in WWF 2024.
“We agree that the meeting in Bali will be a very monumental meeting to transform all policies, all spirits so that we can face the future together to make water a source of life, growth and peace, not the other way around,” he said.
In a global context, the challenges faced in water management are increasingly complex. Climate change has increased pressure on water resources, causing land and water crises in many countries.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has been active in conducting research and innovation to provide solutions to the water crisis.
“The impact of climate change on water resources is currently extraordinary. “The existence of various climate change phenomena causes pressure on water resources to increase, resulting in a land and water crisis,” said BRIN Deputy for Development Policy, Mego Pinandito.
Innovative steps such as the development of rainwater harvesting technology, fog dew catchers, and underground water pumping projects are part of the Indonesian government’s efforts to overcome the water crisis.
Apart from that, the visit of the WWF 2024 delegation to Jatiluwih Village in Tabanan Regency, Bali, was also an opportunity to demonstrate the ancestral practices of the Balinese people in maintaining the balance between nature and the social life of the community.
“WWF’s visit encourages the people of Jatiluwih Village not only to leave a deep impression about cultural and natural values, but also to be a step forward in the global dialogue regarding environmental sustainability and water resource management,” said Economic and Tourism Observer, Trisno Nugroho.
It is hoped that WWF 2024 activities in Bali will not only be a forum for discussion, but also a momentum to produce concrete commitments and solutions in maintaining environmental balance and sustainable management of water resources.
