Défis Sud, a partner for out-of-the-box solutions

The World Water Forum 6 today announced it would formally recognize DEFIS SUD, the International Forum for Development and Employment in essential services, as a “precursor event” in the run-up to the 6th World Water Forum scheduled to be held in Marseille between March 12 and 17, 2012.

The DEFIS SUD professional forum and exhibition will be held in Paris, March 25th and 26th on the premises of AgroParisTech school of the Paris Institute of Technology (19 av. du Maine, Paris 15e).  Approximately 1000 young professionals, graduate and undergraduate students and between 30 and 50 exhibitors are expected to attend the first international forum devoted exclusively to careers in cooperative development and the design and implementation of basic services (urban water, sanitation and waste) in the developing world.

DEFIS-SUD (www.defis-sud.org) is a two-day event organized by the non-profit association PROJECTION, a network of young professionals working in the field of essential services, water, sanitation and waste management, for urbanized areas in the developing south.

Access to basic services is critical for the economies of the south, especially in urban areas which continue to experience high growth rates and demographic pressures. The challenge of providing universal access to potable water requires input from all ages, all professions and all horizons motivated to contribute to achieving MDG target 14, “Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water”.

For more information, contact Jean-Hugues Hermant-Lagrange, Délégé général du réseau Projection (tel. +33 (0)611-26-1047 / jean-hugues.hermant-lagange@reseauprojection.org)

Water and the Millennium Development Goals
The development and management of water resources are essential to the vision of the Millennium Declaration and the eight major goals identified as the Millennium Development Goals. The seventh goal, Ensure Environmental Sustainability, specifies that signatories to the declaration commit themselves to reducing by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

Water is life and potable water is basic to every process identified as critical in eradicating poverty, achieving universal primary education, improving health, promoting gender equality and equitably sharing the benefits of globalization. Indeed, water, energy and climate change are the issues that today drive globalization and sustain the human species.

The 6th World Water Forum
Jointly organized by France, the World Water Council and the City of Marseille, the 6th World Water Forum will take place between March 12 and 17, 2012. The theme selected for the event is “A Time for Solutions”. Four worldwide consultation processes have been launched in preparation of the 6th world forum: political, regional, thematic and local. These processes are coordinated through the Organizing Committee of the 6th World Water Forum to produce concrete proposals to address stakeholder priorities.

Contact
Claudine Chilinski: +33 (0)6 38 13 1651
c.chilinski@worldwaterforum6.org

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