Bali – Indonesia, which was chosen as the host for the 10th World Water Forum (WWF) activities on 18-25 May 2024, has the theme ‘Water for Shared Prosperity’. This theme is very relevant to current conditions, where the availability of clean water is still a challenge for many countries.
The concept of “Water for Shared Prosperity” represents the idea that water is a crucial resource for sustainable development and shared prosperity for the entire community.
UNICEF Indonesia WASH/Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Specialist, Salathiel Nali said this theme resonated with them.
“The theme of ‘Water for Shared Prosperity’ is in line with UNICEF’s goals,” said Salathiel Nali.
He said that this theme was in line with UNICEF’s goals which were included in several focuses, including a focus on children’s needs.
On the other hand, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), Endra S. Atmawidjaja, said that the WWF forum was inclusive, involving all stakeholders in the water community.
“Through WWF, we want to emphasize that water is politics. Water is not only a technical matter, but also a political one. “It could be a platform for decision makers to place water as a top priority,” he said.
Furthermore, Endra said that as the largest archipelagic country in the world, Indonesia has abundant water resources, but the challenge of clean water availability has become the main focus in national development.
According to him, one of the main efforts that has been made is through the implementation of programs and policies aimed at managing water resources efficiently and sustainably.
To overcome the water crisis and increase food security, he added, an integrated and sustainable approach is needed. The government has currently developed policies and programs to preserve water resources. Among other things, since 2014 the government has initiated the construction of 61 dams until 2024.
On a different occasion, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menko Marves), Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, said at WWF 2024 that the government was able to show that Indonesia had concrete actions in managing its vast water resources.
Luhut also said that the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) had carried out water conservation through forest rehabilitation covering an area of 179 million hectares. Also providing water to support national food security. This is one thing that shows that Indonesia is serious about concrete actions like this.
He explained that efforts to prevent and mitigate the impacts of climate change are also an integral part of Indonesia’s strategy to maintain the availability of clean water. This includes watershed management, forest conservation, and the development of environmentally friendly technologies to reduce pressure on water resources.
“In this way, Indonesia is trying to reduce vulnerability to climate change which can affect water availability in the future,” he said.
