By. Frank Benard )*
The 10th World Water Forum (WWF) international meeting held in Bali on 18-25 May 2024 is an important forum for countries in the world to sit together to find solutions to existing problems related to world water resources. Apart from that, this forum is also the largest cross-border forum in the world which focuses on discussing and handling water problems, which is jointly organized by the World Water Council and the Indonesian Government.
The 10th WWF Summit provided an important platform for all stakeholders in the water sector on a global scale. This is a major milestone in Indonesia’s contribution to the global community’s efforts to manage water resources sustainably.
Regarding this matter, Special Staff to the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing for Water Resources Management, Firdaus Ali, emphasized that Indonesia emphasizes the important role of water in the lives of all living creatures. Considering various global water challenges such as scarcity, pollution and natural disasters due to climate change, Indonesia wants to make water a source of prosperity and peace, not conflict.
The 10th WWF raised 6 sub-themes, including: Water Security and Prosperity, Water for Humans and Nature,Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, Governance, Cooperation and Water Diplomacy, Sustainable Water Financing, and Knowledge and Innovation.
In the first sub-theme related to Water Security and Welfare, discussing the influence of water quantity and quality, one of which is the impact of climate change on food security, energy, and the availability of clean water and sanitation. This topic is very important to find a solution because it is related to the quantity and quality of water. As is known, the current climate change is affecting the quality and quantity of world water.
Water is an important element supporting life in the universe. Water supports natural, social and economic life. Humans need water to irrigate agricultural land, to support industrial operations, to produce energy and so on. Climate change greatly affects the earth’s ecosystem, life and the welfare of society. Climate change has enormous effects on human development and security. Climate change causes changes in the water cycle, an increase in earth temperature, a rise in water levels, and the occurrence of extreme climates.
The second sub-theme is related to water for humans and nature. Of course, it cannot be denied that water has an important role in human life and nature. Water is an important element for human life on earth. To answer the question why water is a source of life for humans, it is necessary to understand that most of the human body, even up to three-quarters, consists of water.
The benefits of water for human daily life, for example, are for drinking. Drinking enough water provides various benefits for the human body, such as increasing metabolism, helping digestion, maintaining body fluid needs, refreshing the body, maintaining beautiful skin, and supporting various body functions so that they run in balance. Studies show that lack of water can cause a decrease in the body’s metabolism.
The third sub-theme is related to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. This is where the importance of optimizing water resource management. Excess water (floods) and lack of water (drought) often occur at the same time but in different locations. Poor spatial management related to water resources is that when there is a large amount of water (too much) we are unable to accommodate or store it, and during the dry season the availability of water is not able to meet our needs (too little).
In the fourth sub-theme related to Water Governance, Cooperation and Diplomacy, the importance of cooperation between countries in the world in carrying out good governance so that the quantity and quality of water in the world can be maintained, despite the big challenges and threats from climate change conditions. At the 10th WWF forum in Bali, concrete discussions regarding water governance and diplomacy are very necessary so that existing threats can be anticipated and solutions agreed upon together.
The fifth sub-theme, related to sustainable water financing, is no less important because it will determine how committed countries in the world are to sustainable water financing. Indonesia, for example, in the short term, the Indonesian Government has set several targets related to sustainable water resources management by 2024, including, 100% of housing with access to adequate drinking water, 30% of housing with access to piped drinking water, increasing the capacity of national water resources by around 2 .3 billion m3, and sustainable irrigation water supply from reservoirs of around 355.8 thousand hectares. The Indonesian government also continues to be committed to improving the realization of sustainable water resources management from time to time. This can certainly be a good and concrete example for the participants of the 10th WWF Forum in Bali.
The sixth or final subtheme is related to Knowledge and Innovation. In this case, it is important for every country to be able to innovate in overcoming all water resource problems. This can also be a reflection that every country in the world cares about this water problem. This innovation can also be an example or pilot project for countries that need innovation in solving water problems in their country.
The implementation of the 10th WWF will certainly be an important momentum in producing various agreements on global water management. Therefore, community support is needed to work together to make this activity a success.
