Jakarta, February 28, 2025 — Ahead of the 11th World Water Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2027 and in an effort to maintain continuity with the 10th World Water Forum in Bali in 2024, the World Water Council, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia reaffirmed their joint commitment to achieving sustainable water solutions on February 28, 2025 in Jakarta.
The joint commitment was reaffirmed by the Honorary President of the World Water Council/President of the Latin American Water Council Benedito Braga in his speech: "Strengthening water diplomacy is not always about signing different forms of international agreements or treaties, but rather about openness and mutual exchange of knowledge and understanding of the water issues and challenges themselves."
Braga also emphasized that there are various challenges to overcome on the path of water diplomacy, in particular the lack of integrated water management at all levels, from the national to the regional to the global level. However, the dialog journey to find sustainable water solutions has also recorded various success stories and inspirations from local practices and various new challenges in the water sector closely related to food security, water security, biodiversity protection, financing, governance and funding mechanisms, and public-private partnerships.
"We must be bold and assertive in our collective efforts to expand our cooperation without institutional barriers," he affirmed.
Deputy Minister of Public Works of the Republic of Indonesia, Diana Kusumastuti, said: "Water resilience is indispensable for global security. Therefore, increased cooperation in the water sector, governance and infrastructure is key to ensuring sustainable access to water, food security and water for green energy, both for the present and future generations."
Diana said that the highlight of the 10th World Water Forum follow-up meeting in Jakarta was the launching of the 10th World Water Forum Report and the World Water Warriors' Guide, which serve as a strategic guide for all stakeholders, including government, the private sector, academia and civil society, as it contains various tools needed to translate goals into concrete actions with impact.
In addition, Diana invited stakeholders and the public to join the Global Working Group of the Center of Excellence for Water and Climate Resilience. "Together in the Global Working Group, let us develop innovative solutions, share knowledge and initiate collective action to strengthen global climate and water resilience," she concluded.
Director General of Water Resources of the Indonesian Ministry of Public Works Lilik Retno Cahyadiningsih also summarized the key follow-up actions that will shape further efforts towards sustainable water management. These include implementing the outcomes of the 10th Forum, strengthening international cooperation, bridging the transition from Bali to Riyadh, action-oriented strategies, and raising public awareness and stakeholder engagement. "Going forward, we will focus on implementing the recommendations discussed, from policy adaptation to technological innovations in water resource management," she concluded.
Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz Alshaibani, said in his concluding remarks: "The discussions and meetings of these two days strengthen our joint commitment to implementing sustainable water solutions through various forms of collaboration with different stakeholders and communities. We also realize the importance of sustainability and the importance of incorporating the principle of inclusiveness in the goals and joint actions in our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 6."
"With innovative, inclusive and action-oriented principles, we will further develop and implement the theme we raised at the 11th World Water Forum, namely Action for A Better Future," he added.
Abdulaziz concluded his speech by mentioning six themes to be addressed and discussed in depth at the 11th World Water Forum, namely water security, water financing, innovation in water solutions, including the rise of water data and the use of artificial intelligence, water governance, the inclusion of all stakeholders and cooperation across regional borders and institutions.
