From the 18th
to the 23rd of March, the 8th World Water Forum will be
taking place in Brazil, the country with the freshest water in the world. The
World Water Council organizes the Forum every three years together with the
respective host country and city. In 2014, Brazil’s candidature to host the
event was successful and Brasilia was selected as the host-city for the event. It
is the first time the event is held in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the
world’s largest water-related conference. The World Water Council is an
international organization that brings together all those interested in the
theme of water. More than 40,000 representatives from governments, NGOs, and
companies will be present. The World Water Council’s mission is “to promote
awareness, build political commitment, and trigger action on critical water
issues at all levels, to facilitate the efficient conservation, protection,
development, planning, management, and use of water in all its dimensions on an
environmentally sustainable basis for the benefit of all life on Earth”. It was
founded in 1996. It is a platform to encourage debates and exchanges of
experience and to reach a common strategic vision on water resources and water services
management amongst all stakeholders in the water community. This year, the United Nations will launch the new International
Decade for Action on Water (2018-2028) and release its annual World
Water Report. The emphasis at these forums is "on the need for innovation and
investment in the water sector, water science, water technology and water
infrastructure, services required to meet our water challenges and cope with
crises like drought, flooding, and pollution".
References
