Nusa Dua, May 21,  2024 - Under a leadership of Indonesia, a Ministerial Declaration on “Water for Shared Prosperity” was adopted at the Ministerial Meeting of the 10th World Water Forum co-chaired by the Indonesian Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono on Tuesday (5/21) at Singaraja Hall, Bali Nusa Dua Conference Center 1, Bali. Delegates from 106 countries and 27 international organizations attended the meeting.

The declaration covers the issue of the right to access safe drinking water and sanitation. This includes the accelerated provision of drinking water to 3 million households and a sanitation project for 300 thousand households, the importance of inclusive coordination and collaboration, and the strengthening of an integrated water resource management policy.

The Compendium of Concrete Actions of the 10th World Water Forum, which is an integral part of the Declaration, was also adopted. According to Minister Basuki, the compendium includes 113 projects in the water and sanitation sector with a total value 9.4 billion US dollars.

He also pointed out that the declaration was adopted after it had been endorsed by all participating countries and that the contributions submitted by the Republic of Congo during the ministerial meeting had been taken into account in order to implement the results of the forum in the future.

 "As for the Forum's readiness to adopt the Ministerial Declaration and Compendium as an outcome of the 10th World Water Forum, I see no objection and the Declaration was finally declared adopted," Minister Basuki emphasized.

Prior to the 10th World Water Forum, discussions on the Ministerial Declaration have been held in three mechanisms at UNESCO's Paris headquarters since November 2023.

Indonesia's several proposals on water development, such as the establishment of a Center of Excellence for Water and Climate Security, the designation of World Lakes Day through a UN resolution and the mainstreaming of water management issues for developing countries on small islands were also included in the declaration.

Indonesia will also oversee a global initiative to finance and invest in the water sector, the Global Water Fund. The Director General for Multilateral Cooperation at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tri Tharyat, emphasized that this initiative will be declared jointly with a number of countries and organizations in a more appropriate forum. This global financing in the water sector is welcomed by the water community as it is in line with projects already underway. (Dede Ariwibowo)