26 October 2020 – World Water Council President Fauchon delivered remarks during the Opening ceremony of the 2020 Brazil Water Week.

President Fauchon, along with other key representatives such as the Governor of Sao Paolo, João Doria, the Secretary of Infrastructure and Environment of the State of São Paulo, Marcos Penido and President of Sabesp and Honorary President of the World Water Council, Benedito Braga opened the second edition of the Brazil Water Week dedicated to the UN water and sanitation related sustainable development goal.
In the context of the Covid-19 sanitary crises, President Fauchon insisted on the importance of water and sustainable sanitation in preventing contagious diseases reminding that “Water combined with soap and disinfectants remains the first and most effective barrier”. He also underlined the need to focus on wastewater treatment and reuse and substantial decrease of water consumption particularly in agriculture in order to ensure water security. 
Water security and sanitation are also main themes of the 9th World Water Forum, co-organized by the World Water Council and the host country Senegal. The Forum, which will take place in Dakar in March 2022, represents a unique opportunity to work together at each level to provide concrete responses to achieve sustainable development goal on access to clean water and sanitation for all before 2030.

The 2020 Brazil Water Week was held virtually from 26th to 30th October. The event was hosted by the Brazilian Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (ABES). A special session on the 9th World Water Forum “Water Security for Peace and Development” held on October 29, provided information on progress made in preparatory process.

Dakar, Senegal, 2 November 2020. HE Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, hosted Loïc Fauchon, the President of the World Water Council, in Dakar, to discuss the latest developments in the preparation of the 9th World Water Forum. 

In light of the global Covid-19 pandemic evolution and to guarantee the best sanitary conditions for the stakeholders involved, Senegal and the World Water Council have decided to postpone the Forum to 21-26 March 2022. The viral outbreak has slowed down the Forum preparatory process in the past months and strained the rescheduling of introductory events.

The joint announcement issued at the end of this meeting specifies the importance given to the various political processes, which will contribute to the success of the next Forum. The postponement of the Forum by one year will allow to achieve increased insight on the issues of water, pandemics, hygiene, and population health protection.  

In the coming weeks, Senegal and the World Water Council will give new impetus to the preparation of this 9th Forum.