Edito

© Organik - Mars at Work

A village for the Time of Solutions The Village of Solutions is an innovation of the 6th World Water Forum, led by the World Water Council and the International Forum Committee. Its purpose is to showcase the solutions collected from around the world, via the newly created international platform solutionsforwater.org.

The Village of Solutions seeks to raise participants’ awareness through exhibits and special events in an enjoyable and educational way. The 4,000 m² village will be built to reveal all kinds of potential water solutions within the village’s school, library, town hall, factory and bank.
In the Library, or Pavilion of Knowledge, visitors can find out about global water issues and discover science-related solutions, research, information resources, case studies and best practice sharing. The Agora, both town square and coffee shop, is a meeting place for friendly and informal discussions, with all kinds of solutions showcased on large screens. The Factory, or Pavilion of Technology, will illustrate technical, industrial and “machine-object” solutions and will have a timeline mural. The Bank, or Pavilion of Finance, will unveil different funding mechanisms for addressing many water issues around the world.
The School, or Pavilion of Education, is probably one of the most amazing rooms, decorated with white tulle and mirrors, with its labyrinth of information displaying educational solutions and solutions that encourage responsible water use.
The Town Hall, or Pavilion of Policy, will showcase political solutions with water and democracy at their heart.
On the outskirts, the solutions of the Slum module will also be open to visitors.

Join us for Time for Solutions! solutionsforwater.org

Facts and figures

• More than 800 hours of discussion and debate
• Around twenty high level political meetings and roundtables, a Ministerial Conference, a Parliamentarian Conference and the 3^rd International Conference of Local and Regional Authorities for Water
• More than 300 sessions dedicated to solutions for addressing water issues throughout the world
• More than 100 side events
• 140 Grassroots & Citizenship events before, during, and after the Forum
• More than 1,200 solutions to date for visitors from all over the world
• A Village of Solutions and an Exhibition on Water

The Forum represents a crucial step in a process combining dialogue, action and the monitoring of results. Bringing together politicians, decision-makers, civil society, lenders and experts, the Forum constitutes fertile ground for forging commitments and partnerships in support of water solutions. Its work will be taken to the Earth Summit in Rio in June and to Stockholm in August.

The programme

For the 6th World Water Forum: - an interactive programme - a mobile phone application - a pocket programme for an eco-responsible attitude.

Find our updated programme on the site of the Forum

On the path to Political Solutions

PrepCom II: a success!

On 2-3 February at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, almost 300 delegates from around 110 national governments met to discuss a draft text for the Ministerial Process of the 6^th World Water Forum.

The 2nd Preparatory Committee Meeting (PrepCom) arrived at a consensus for the document that aims to become the Ministerial Declaration at the Ministerial Conference on 13 March 2012. This successful meeting paves a path towards a fruitful Ministerial Conference where up to 140 national governments are expected. > Read more...

2 ^nd International Meeting for the preparation of the Parliamentarian Process

Co-organised by the International Committee of the 6^th World Water Forum (IFC) and the World Water Council (WWC), this meeting will be in the form of a by-invitation-only working seminar. It will be specifically devoted to the preparation of the Forum’s parliamentarian session and to the identification of solutions and commitments for water, in accordance with the main objectives of the Forum.
The meeting will gather parliamentarians from various regions of the world as well as experts from recognised international organisations. A few representatives of local communities and non-governmental organisations that are active in the field of water and sanitation will also be invited to participate. > Read more

For more information: fx.imbert@worldwaterforum6.org

> More information on the political process

Coordinator: j.newton@worldwaterforum6.org

Forum Priorities – Targets – Conditions for Success

The Forum counts 12 Priorities for Action and 3 Conditions for Success. Here are the three priorities for action related to water preservation.

2nd Stakeholder Consultation Meeting, Paris, January 2011

CS1: Good Governance CS2: Financing Water for All CS3: Enabling Environments > Read more > The Priorities of the Forum

Time for Solutions

Focusing on practical actions, the 6^th World Water Forum aims to be the Forum of solutions and commitments. Thus, to collect and share concrete contributions from all horizons, an international Platform for Solutions is open on www.solutionsforwater.org.

Discover some exemples:

Bioforce Trainings for Capacity Building Improving the impact of emergency action for development progress. > Connect to know more

		Landsvirkjun Sustainability Partnership - Iceland A three-year partnership with IHA to establish a Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol in Iceland, involving observers and NGOs – to be promoted within Europe and globally. > Connect to know more
		Pilot Project for Solar Powered Desalination Plants using brackish groundwater in Abu Dhabi Emirate > Connect to know more
		Urban Agriculture and Food Security > Connect to know more
		Manual well drilling to reduce borehole cost in Senegal Drilling using locally made tools and local labor. > Connect to know more
		Lerma – Chapala Basin: sustainable water management case study, Mexico. Positive and unsuccessful experiences providing fruitful lessons, of replicable experiences and a bounty of knowledge to meet the MDGs at the local level when embarking on implementing IWRM. > Connect to know more

Discover water solutions and share your contributions on solutionsforwater.org.

An eye on the Blue Planet

The Forum regional preparatory process covers four major regions: Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe as well as the Mediterranean and Arab Countries. It focuses on three goals: mobilising and engaging actors; articulating priorities and regional targets; keeping momentum and implementing specific actions after the Forum.
Discover this month the Americas region.

Water targets and priorities of the Americas
By 2012, all countries in the Americas are aware of the implications and principles of the declaration of water and sanitation as human rights, and by 2015 an additional 25% of countries in the region have a formal roadmap for implementation of those rights. By 2020, at least half of the countries have doubled the percentage of wastewater treated. … Read about the 6 priorities and 11 targets regional process of the Americas.

Coordinator of the Americas region:
Mr Victor Pochat,hi
Intergovernmental Council of the International Hydrological Program of UNESCO

Coordinator at the International Forum Committee s.nguyen-khoa@worldwaterforum6.org

More about the 6^th World Water Forum

Grassroots & Citizenship:

Citizen actions for the Forum

• 180 events labeled out of 200 submitted projects
• 140 around the Forum week
• 50 co-financed by the IFC
• A majority of NGO-initiated projects
• Lots of photo exhibitions, films and documentaries created for this occasion
• 1,800 young people aged from 6 to 35, students and young professionals, who have been involved for several months through a number of initiatives
• More than 400 volunteers mobilised before and during the Forum week

More information on the labeled Grassroots & Citizenship projects

Coordinator: n.berthelier@worldwaterforum6.org

Women Initiative:
"Women's voices must be heard and affirmative action undertaken"

© Lionel Goujon - Les Voyageurs de l’Eau

"The 6^th World Water Forum takes place at a time where water related crises are heightened by impacts of climate change. To ensure that communities are strengthened to stand up to these challenge we must make sure to involve the half of humanity which is usually ignored, namely women. Women's voices must be heard, considered and respected at every level in order to ensure sustainability in the water sector." The government of Sri Lanka recognizes that women play a critical role in management of water systems and seeks to support them with affirmative action.

Hon Dinesh Gunawardena, Sri Lanka Minister of Water Supply and Drainage and Chief Government Whip.

Read the whole interview

Contact: waterandwomen@worldwaterforum6.org