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 10 August 2010
Water Champion Cities discuss innovation and sustainability
Current and potential Water Champion Cities gather this week in Korea for a Workshop on “Innovation and Harmony of Water and City” co-organised by the World City Water Forum, the World Water Council and the City of Incheon. As a result of the meeting the cities will define the working plans and future actions to strengthen local authorities in developing countries and the further dissemination of the Istanbul Water Consensus, with the 6th World Water Forum as a target event deadline for the presentation of results. The meeting will be held during 2 days (12-13 August) in 3 sessions and brings together for the first time almost all Champion Cities, those who cannot be present will attend the event through videoconference.
 1 August 2010
Welcome the World Water Forum to your country in 2015
Initial expressions of interest requested by 1 October 2010
The World Water Council is currently seeking expressions of interest from National Governments willing to host and organize the World Water Forum in March 2015. Preliminary expressions of interest should be received by the World Water Council Secretariat by 1 October 2010.
The Forum is the largest international awareness-raising event focused on water and development. It provides a platform where multi-stakeholder dialogues take place on critical water issues. Every three years, the World Water Council organizes a World Water Forum in close collaboration with a host country and a host city.
The Forum is not just an international conference. It is a three-year process involving a great deal of preparatory work on specific subjects, taking into account the perspectives of multiple stakeholders from different regions. The Fora are usually composed of three interlinked components: - A Thematic Forum, including regional perspectives;
- A Political Component including a Ministerial Conference and engagement with Local Elected Officials and Parliamentarians;
- A World Water Expo and Fair.
The 1st World Water Forum (Marrakech, Morocco – 1997) attracted 500 participants. The 2nd (The Hague, The Netherlands – 2000) was attended by 6,000 delegates. The 3rd (Kyoto, Shiga and Osaka, Japan – 2003) and the 4th (Mexico City, Mexico – 2006) each drew over 20,000 participants from all sectors and all continents. The 5th (Istanbul, Turkey – 2009) was the largest Forum in history with over 30,000 participants. The 6th is currently being organised and will take place in Marseille (France) in March 2012.
Candidates must demonstrate their capacity to organise such an important event, and candidatures must be presented or endorsed by a representative of the central Government of the country concerned, at the highest possible level. In order to be considered for the next steps in the bidding procedure, a preliminary expression of interest should be received by the World Water Council Secretariat by 1 October 2010.
For more detailed information on the bidding process and the Forum itself, please contact Dani Gaillard-Picher.
 24 juin 2010
Water through the eyes of the city - International Photo Contest
A man drinking from a polluted city river or children jumping in water puddles - what are those photos portraying water in a city environment? To show how water affects all areas of urban living, the World Water Council launches the The International Water Photo Contest for the World Expo 2010, Shanghai, China. Professionals and non professionals are invited to submit a single photograph under the theme of "Water and Cities", in compliance with the Expo general theme "Better City, Better Life".
All selected pictures will be screened on the World Water Pavilion at the Expo 2010. An international Jury composed of 5 personalities from the water sector and professional photographers will vote for the best three photos to be printed for exhibition. The first-prize winner will be invited to an award ceremony during the Expo. A Shanghai Special Prize has been established jointly with our Chinese partners from Expo 2010, for the best picture taken in Shanghai. Visit the webpage.
 14 June 2010
Parliamentarians’ Water Forum in the Arab World
The Lebanese National Assembly and the Association of the Friends of Ibrahim Abd El Al convened a Parliamentarians’ Water Forum in the Arab World and Surrounding Countries (Turkey and Iran) from the 13-14th May in Beirut. In collaboration with the World Water Council, the meeting brought together more than 20 parliamentarians from the region to discuss key water issues and to support the development of a Water Helpdesk for Parliamentarians. The Helpdesk concept was an important output of the political process of the Fifth World Water Forum in Istanbul, and the development of this facility was fully endorsed by all Forum participants.
The meeting was held under the Patronage of the President of the Lebanese National Assembly, H.E. Mr Nabih Berry and included an opening address the Minister, H.E. Mr Jibran Bassil, on Lebanese and regional water policy. Forum participants provided a significant number of suggestions on future content and functioning of the helpdesk, which it is hoped to have up and running by the end of the year.
 10 June 2010
Cool art
A polar bear is trapped on the top of a giant globe and another one has an umbrella to protect it from the sun. These are two examples of the 68 model globes that make out the installation entitled Cool Globes Marseille 2010. With the aim to address global warming and climate change, the original globes are designed by artists around the environmental theme. Launched at the kick off of the 6th World Water Forum and inaugurated by the Mayor of Marseille, Jean-Claude Gaudin, the globes will be displayed in the streets of the city from 8 June to 8 October 2010.
 22 April 2010
Dates set for 6th World Water Forum Kick-Off
A little less than two years from the 6th World Water Forum in 2012, more than 400 people will gather in June to initiate the preparatory process. The meeting to be held in Paris, France on 2 June and in Marseille, France on 3-4 June will see discussions and exchange around vital questions and issues that will help orient the preparatory process and its focus on solutions for water. Read more about the event.
 22 April 2010
Launching of the 2030 Water Agenda in Mexico
On March 26th, the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, launched a national call for action on water issues, in support of the 2030 Water Agenda. This Agenda aims to establish a series of long-term water-related goals for Mexican society, to truly make water everyone’s business, and to ensure that the current generation can work to ensure a better water future in Mexico. At the same time as efforts are being made to increase the sources of supply, the demand on water resources from different sectors must be reduced, and this will only be possible with the commitment of all stakeholders in the country.
This high-level gathering, organized by the National Water Commission of Mexico (CONAGUA), brought together a cross-section of over 500 representatives from different water-related sectors were called to the event on March 26th, including business leaders, NGOs, academics, and governmental representatives, but also a number of other non water-related sectors took part, including sportspeople, musicians, the media and schoolchildren. On behalf of the WWC, Dr. Jerome Delli Priscoli, a member of the WWC Bureau, gave a speech which insisted upon the important role of international cooperation and long-term planning for water issues.
The four main goals of the Agenda are clean rivers, balanced river basins, universal drinking water and sanitation coverage and settlements safe from the effects of flooding. In order to foster this commitment from society as a whole, and to strengthen the technical bases of the work to take place over the coming years, a virtual consultation has been opened up, in Spanish only for the moment, through the CONAGUA’s website, where you may also find a short document outline the 2030 Water Agenda, again only in Spanish for the moment. This effort is also planned to be opened up to international audiences in the coming weeks.
 22 April 2010
All eyes on water in Shanghai
On 1 May, Shanghai opens its doors to more than 190 countries and 50 international organizations in the tradition of international fairs and expositions. The World Expo welcomes among the exhibitors the World Water Council and its Water Pavilion. Working closely with members, the World Water Pavilion will explain and showcase successful ways of managing water within cities - the theme of the World Expo being “Better Cities, Better Life”. Read more about the World Water Council activities in Shanghai.
 23 february 2010
WWC Board Meeting Interviews
During the Council’s 34th Board meeting in Delft, the hosts - UNESCO-IHE – took the opportunity to briefly chat with the President of the Council and one of its Bureau members – Jerome Delli Priscolli. “What could some of the most important discussions be in the next World Water Forum?” is just one of the questions in these two filmed interviews. Watch them here.
 08 January 2010
Videos showcase climate change, borders and sanitation
During the World Water Council’s Water Caucus in October, we had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s most renowned water experts. Watch what they have to say about issues such as sanitation, transboundary challenges and climate change here.
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22 March 2010