5th World Water Forum: ADB’s Commitments
16-22 March 2009; Istanbul, Turkey
Background | Objectives | ADB Participation | Venue
The World Water Forums, organized every three years since 1997 by the World Water Council, are the largest gatherings of water and development experts around the world, aimed at putting water firmly on the international agenda. A stepping stone towards global collaboration on water problems, the Forums offer the water community and policy-and-decision-makers from all over the world the unique opportunity to come together to find solutions to achieve water security.
At the 2003 3rd World Water Forum in Japan, ADB launched a number of successful water initiatives and contributed significantly to the Report of the Water Infrastructure Financing Panel, chaired by Michael Camdessus, which called for increased water financing.
At the 2006 4th World Water Forum in Mexico, ADB launched its Water Financing Program 2006-2010 (WFP), among other initiatives, and announced the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum and the convening of the first Asia-Pacific Water Summit in 2007. As a member of the Task Force on Financing Water for All, ADB also participated in the launching of the Task Force’s report which called for enhancing local governments’ access to water finance. Chaired by Angel Gurria, the Task Force continued the work initiated by the Water Infrastructure Financing Panel.
In this 2009 Forum, ADB will elaborate on the WFP’s midway milestones and recent advances in sanitation as concrete responses to the Camdessus Panel and the Gurria Task Force’s call for doubling of water investments, among other initiatives.
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ADB’s participation in the 5th World Water Forum aims to reinforce its commitments to water investments, reforms, and partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region.
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ADB’s delegation to the forum participated in a number of sessions either as presenters or panel members. ADB’s delegation included
- Arjun Thapan, Director General, Southeast Asia Department (Head of Delegation)
- Amy Leung, Director, East Asia Social Sectors Division and Water Committee Chair
- Wouter Lincklaen Arriens, Lead Water Resources Specialist, Sustainable Infrastructure Division
| Session Title |
Speaker |
| Day 1: 16 March |
| Launching of IWRM Guidelines at River Basin Level |
Wouter Arriens |
| Towards a Vibrant Local Marketplace |
Arjun Thapan |
| Day 2: 17 March
| | Drops for Crops: Water Demand Management in Agriculture | Wouter Arriens |
| Launch of Gurria Report “Managing Water For All: An OECD Perspective on Pricing and Financing” | Arjun Thapan |
| Safe Water Re-use | Amy Leung |
| Panel on Finance | Arjun Thapan |
| Day 3: 18 March |
| Financial Sustainability: Importance, progress and emerging issues | Amy Leung |
| Panel on Sanitation | Amy Leung |
| Session "From Mexico to Istanbul" | Amy Leung |
| Day 4: 19 March
| | 3rd G8 Water Experts Group Meeting and brief informal “bilateral” discussion |
Wouter Arriens |
| Day 5: 20 March |
| Asia-Pacific Regional Session | Wouter Arriens |
| Keys for success of IWRM Implementation at River Basin | Wouter Arriens |
| Asia’s Next Challenge: Advancing Security through Water Cooperation | Wouter Arriens |
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Istanbul, Turkey
- Sütlüce Congress and Cultural Center
- Feshane International Fair Congress andCulture Center
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