Asia Pacific Water Forum

Water is crucial to life and all forms of social, economic, and environmental development. According to the UN Task Force on Water and Sanitation (2005), safe water and sanitation is a prerequisite for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and for sustaining good health and quality of life. At Fourth World Water Forum (4th WWF), regional documents coordinated by Japan Water Forum (JWF) and 5 sub-regional coordinators (Korea Water Forum, Global Water Partnership (GWP) South East Asia, GWP South Asia, GWP CACENA and the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC)) together with regional water stakeholders reported on the Asia-Pacific region’s formidable water related challenges. These include the need for increased access to improved water supplies and sanitation(*1) through investments in infrastructure and capacity building, the protection and restoration of river basins as the fundamental provider of freshwater resources through Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), and the need to drastically reduce the vulnerability of human populations to water-related disasters(*2). There are already a large number of stakeholders, from international institutions to local NGO’s, who are spearheading important activities and have achieved significant results throughout the Asia-Pacific region. For example, between 1990 and 2002, 35% of the total urban population (representing over 368 million people) gained access to improved drinking water. As recognised during the participatory regional consultation process that preceded the 4th WWF, such improvements can be further enhanced by harnessing the knowledge and experience of these stakeholders and creating a cooperative platform through which this growing knowledge base can be disseminated. Why an APWF? The Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) was initially proposed by the participants during the 4WWF Regional Preparatory Process that was coordinated by the Japan Water Forum (JWF). During the Ministerial Meeting that lead to the Joint Declaration, the establishment of the APWF was supported by several agencies in the region, including ADB, UNESCAP, GWP, KWF, SOPAC, JBIC, MRC, FAO, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNISDR and IUCN.

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