Water is one of the core essential and basic necessity. In recent years, water table is facing serious threat due to rapid population increase, industrial and urban development, over usage, climate change, global warming, shrinkage in glaciers in Arctic and Antarctic, natural calamities, and negligence of people to use the water in proper way and slow replenishment of natural waters. More than 650 million people in almost 40 countries suffer from water scarcity.

The 10th World Water Forum co-hosted by the Government of of Indonesia and World Water Council (WWC) provides a unique platform where the water communities and key decision makers can collaborate and make long-term progress on global water challenges. The Forum brings together participants from all levels and areas, including politics, multilateral institutions, academia, civil society and the private sector, among others. We have to use this momentum to strengthen our ability in tackling various challenges in providing clean and fair water for all. The theme for 10th World Water Forum is Water for Shared Prosperity, means water should be a resource that available to everyone, in the time it needed. Hence, managing water correctly may leads to prosperity for all, a shared prosperity.

Our President Joko Widodo has stated several important agendas to be prioritized, and here again I would like to emphasize the importance to address these agendas. These agendas have been formulated into six sub-themes to be discussed in World Water Forum 2024.

The sub-themes are water for human and nature, water security and prosperity, disaster risk reduction and management, cooperation and hydro-diplomacy, water innovative finance, knowledge, and innovation. We need to sit together, identify the challenges and the strength, explore options and find the best approach for each sub-theme, technology innovation and secure political commitment for sustainable water resources management to tackle issues on water resources sustainability.