King Hassan II Great World Water Prize


    Jointly established by the Kingdom of Morocco and the World Water Council, this Prize pays tribute to the memory of His Majesty the late King Hassan II, and to his strategic vision for His country's sustainable integrated water resources management, in addressing the Kingdom's water security.


    Attributed to an individual or a group of natural or legal persons, whether public or private, and intended to reward actions that promote the protection and preservation of water resources, improvement in their management, reuse of wastewater, as well as raising awareness among the population about water issues, the prize is awarded every three years during the World Water Forum, at a special ceremony organized within the framework of the opening plenary session.


    After Kyoto in 2003, Mexico City in 2006, Istanbul in 2009, Marseille in 2012, Daegu-Gyeongbuk in 2015, Brasilia in 2018 and Dakar in 2022, the Prize will be awarded for the eighth time at the 10th World Water Forum, to be held in Bali, Indonesia, in May 2024.


    The Prize is awarded every three years on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the World Water Forum. During the Award Ceremony, a trophy and a certificate are awarded to the winner, thereby enjoying worldwide recognition and international exposure, along with a check of 500,000 USD.


    FAO Wins King Hassan II Great World Water Prize at 10th World Water Forum in Bali

    The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been honored with the 8th King Hassan II Great World Water Prize at the 10th World Water Forum, held in Bali, Indonesia. This prestigious award, established in 2002 by the World Water Council in collaboration with Morocco, commemorates the late King Hassan II’s dedication to international cooperation and the sustainable management of water resources.

    The award includes a $500,000 prize, along with a trophy and certificate, recognizing FAO’s exceptional efforts in the protection, preservation, and sustainable management of global water resources. The prize was presented by Aziz Akhannouch, Head of the Moroccan Government, to FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, in the presence of Nizar Baraka, Morocco’s Minister of Equipment and Water, and Loïc Fauchon, President of the World Water Council.

    This year’s prize theme, "Securing Water Resources for Food Sovereignty and Shared Prosperity," attracted 84 high-quality entries focused on water-related issues. In his acceptance speech, QU Dongyu expressed deep gratitude for the recognition of FAO’s contributions to global water security. He emphasized the organization’s recent initiatives to integrate water into its Strategic Framework 2022-31, Climate Change and Science and Innovation thematic strategies, and across all aspects of FAO’s work. He also highlighted FAO’s support for member countries in sustainable agriculture and water management, including the development of National Water Roadmaps, irrigation needs and potential mapping, flood impact assessments, and risk management.

    The King Hassan II Great World Water Prize is awarded every three years during a special ceremony at the World Water Forum. This award serves as a tribute to the late King Hassan II's vision and leadership in promoting international cooperation and sustainable water resource management.
     

    The Organization for the Development of the Senegal River, winner of the 7th edition

    For this 7th edition, the Organisation pour la mise en valeur du fleuve Sénégal (OMVS) won the prestigious Grand Prix Mondial de l'Eau Hassan II, at the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar.

    Created in 1972 by Mali, Mauritania and Senegal, this intergovernmental organization was joined in 2006 by Guinea.
    Its mission is to manage the Senegal River watershed, which covers an area of 289,000 km2.

    The OMVS plays an exemplary role since it acts not only in favour of the realization of water, food and energy security of the great border basin of the Senegal River, but above all it promotes peace, the prosperity and territorial development of its member countries,” stressed Nizar Baraka, Morocco’s Minister of Equipment and Water.

    After Kyoto in 2003, Mexico City in 2006, Istanbul in 2009, Marseille in 2012, Daegu-Gyeongbuk in 2015 and Brasilia in 2018, the Prize was awarded for the seventh time at the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal, on 21 March 2022.

    Former winners of King Hassan II Great World Water Prize

    - 2022 : Organization for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS)
    - 2018 : Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
    - 2015 : Abdou Maman Kane
    - 2012 : The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS)
    - 2009 : Abdulatif Youssef Al-Hamad
    - 2006 : Torkil Jønch Clausen 
    - 2003 : Jerson Kelman and Mahmoud Abu-Zeid