The 10th World Water Forum, which took place on May 18-25, 2024, produced the first-ever Ministerial Declaration in the 30-year history of the World Water Forum. This declaration represents Indonesia's diplomatic commitment to addressing global water challenges.

The Ministerial Declaration contains three priority commitments. First, the proposal to establish World Lake Day as a key initiative to protect lakes worldwide. Secondly, the improvement of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) on small islands, which represents a commitment to collaboration on water issues in these regions.

Third, the creation of a Center of Excellence for Water and Climate Resilience to develop capacity, share knowledge and utilize advanced facilities for water and sanitation management.

Dadang Rukmana, Head of the Human Resource Development Agency at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MPWH) and Member of the National Secretariat of the 10th World Water Forum, explained that the Indonesian government has taken concrete steps to implement the Ministerial Declaration and the outcomes of the Forum.

Firstly, Indonesia has established an internal committee to follow up on the proposal of a World Lakes Day as a crucial step to protect lakes worldwide.

"This internal committee will prepare the necessary concepts  when the World Lakes Day proposal is adopted or processed at the UN, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs leading the initiative," Dadang Rukmana said during a talk show with Metro TV in Jakarta on Monday (7/1/2024).

Follow-up on World Lakes Day

At the same event, Tri Tharyat, Director General for Multilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mentioned that the ministry has encouraged the Indonesian delegation to gather support for the discussion on the establishment of the World Lakes Day at the UN General Assembly.

"With the endorsement of more than 130 countries during the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, I am confident that the World Lakes Day will be endorsed by the UN General Assembly with a target date in October 2024. The positive aspect is that the World Lakes Day originated in Bali," said Tri Tharyat.

Enhancing Integrated Water Resources Management on Small Islands

To improve the IWRM on small islands, Indonesia has established a cooperation framework with the Dutch government and several international organizations, such as the Integrated Water Resources Association (IWRA), the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) and the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI).

“Small islands have plenty of seawater, but we need freshwater. An integrated approach is essential for the provision and management of freshwater on small islands. This cooperation goes beyond Indonesia and involves partnerships between countries, especially between South-South and island countries,” said Dadang Rukmana.

Task Force at the Center of Excellence

To follow up on the Center of Excellence, an international task force was established between Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands and other international organizations such as IWRA. In addition, the Sabo Training Centre in Yogyakarta has been revitalized as a hub for various activities related to water and climate resilience and South-South cooperation.

"We have prepared four modules for exchange and training, such as Water Balance Analysis for River Basin Planning, Hydrology Data Interpretation, Hydrological Network to Support Water Resources Management, and Early Warning System for Floods. The aim of the Center of Excellence is to share knowledge and address water and climate issues," said Dadang Rukmana.

In addition to the political decisions in the Ministerial Declaration, Indonesia has initiated a Compendium of Concrete Deliverables that will serve as examples to be implemented worldwide. There are at least 113 international pilot projects in the field of water and sanitation worth 9.4 billion dollars to be concretized by the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency.