Indonesia is encouraging the participation and contributio of young generations worldwide to ensure the success of the 10th World Water Forum to be held in Bali from May 18th to 25th, 2024. One of the platforms provided specifically for youth is the Young Water Sustainability Leaders (YWSL).
Vice Chairman of the National Organizing Committee of the 10th World Water Forum and Minister of Public Works and Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, stated that YWSL serves as a platform for future leaders to address various water resource challenges and engage in in-depth discussions with experts.
"Sharing knowledge with experts, academics, policymakers, and practitioners will enhance the competence of young generations to contribute through various innovations and technologies. The younger generation is expected to help produce more effective, efficient, and adaptive solutions to water challenges," said Minister Basuki.
YWSL is one of the activities organized to welcome the 10th World Water Forum. A total of 300 participants reportedly attended the Online Bootcamp YWSL 2024. The event concluded with the selection of winners who will become delegates at the 10th World Water Forum.
6 classes with different themes
YWSL activities commenced with an Online Bootcamp from March 27th to April 4th, 2024. The Online Bootcamp YWSL 2024 was divided into six classes featuring speakers from government, academia, private sector, and international organizations.
Class A discussed Water Security and Prosperity with Prof. Indratmo from Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) to Dr. Raymond Valiant from INACOLD. Participants and speakers discussed renewable energy to improve water consumption efficiency.
Class B delved into Water for Humans and Nature with Dr. Hidayat from National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) to Dr. Pham Ngoc Bao from the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). Speakers elaborated on groundwater management, sanitation, and solutions to water pollution.
Class C addressed Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, covering disaster risk management, climate change, and early warning system (EWS) innovation. Material was presented by Dr. Jasper Leuven from Royal HaskoningDHV to Dr. Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan from the Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
Participants in Class D discussed Governance, Cooperation, and Hydro-Diplomacy with speakers such as Noura Kayal from Geneva Water Hub to Abdul Malik Sadat Idris from the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas). Youth could explore cross-border and cross-sector dialogue to create water peace and resilience.
Furthermore, Class E opened up discussions on Sustainable Water Finance. Participants received insights into innovative financing to address water crises and climate change from speakers like Prof. Rob Hope from the University of Oxford to Neil Dhot from AquaFed.
Finally, Class F, "Knowledge and Innovation," with speakers like Sang-Young Park from K-Water, Ryuichi Fukuhara from UNESCO Jakarta, and Dr. Arie Setiadi Moerwanto from the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, discussed water resource management approaches based on local wisdom.