President of the World Water Council, Loïc Fauchon, visited Indonesia to discuss preparations for the 10th World Water Forum. He was warmly received by the Minister of communication and Information Technology, Budi Arie Setiadi, at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology office in Jakarta on Monday (25/3/2024).
During their meeting, president Loïc Fauchon and Minister Budi Arie conducted a through review of the preparations for the 10th World Water Forum. It is expected that at least 7,000 - 10,000 delegates from various countries will participate in this forum.
Fouchon expressed his appreciation for the warm receptiom from the Indonesian people, particularly in Bali and Jakarta. He also extended his gratitude to the government, president, and organizations in Indonesia for their professional management of the World Water Forum.
"I hope that this forum can showcase Indonesia's expertise in water-related fields. Many countries will come with their respective delegations to learn about Indonesia and its expertise in water, sanitation, and disaster-related water issues," he remarked.
Preparations for telecommunication infrastructure
The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has been preparing various supports for the 10th World Water Forum for May 18-25, 2024. This includes providing information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and media center facilities for media personnel.
"Around 7,000 participants from various countries need our support with telecommunication infrastructures. The presence of a media center is also crucial to amplify the 10th World Water Forum to become the largest event worldwide," Minister Budi Arie said.
One of the highlighted agendas of the 10th World Water Forum will be the visits to several water sources such as Lake Batur, as well as the management of water resources with local wisdom such as the Subak irrigation system and the Water Museum in Tabanan, Bali.
Addressing the water crisis
As the host country of the 10th World Water Forum, Minister Budi Arie sees this event as a momentum for Indonesia to address the water crisis in several regions of the country. Additionally, Indonesia can facilitate cross-country discussions to find solutions to global water issues.
"Indonesia has several regions facing water scarcity issues, such as East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and some areas in Kalimantan Island. This forum is expected to provide solutions for the 2–3 billion people worldwide who lack access to water," he explained.
Indonesia will advocate for six issues to be discussed at the 10th World Water Forum. These six issues include Water Quality Assessment and Ecosystem Health; Water Quality Improvement; Public Health; Protection of Fresh Water, Groundwater, and Marine Ecosystems; Source Control; and Ecohydrological Based Solutions (EH-NBS).