On 17 July, 2018, the World Water Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil co-convened a side event on the outcomes of the 8th World Water Forum during the UN’s 2018 High Level Political Forum in New York. The President of the World Water Council, Prof. Benedito Braga, gave the opening remarks together with Ms.

Proposing an overview of the main outcomes of the 8th World Water Forum, this publication allows you to delve at the heart of the processes and events. Discover the innovative thinking, dynamic discussions and cross-cutting debates, in the illustrative document which marks a new era. An era where water is at the forefront of all agendas.  

During the closing ceremony of the 8th World Water Forum in Brasilia, the Japan Water Forum and the World Water Council had the pleasure of awarding the 5th Kyoto World Water Grand Prize to Charité Chrétienne pour Personnes en Détresse (CCPD - Christian Charity for People in Distress), a grassroots organization from Togo. 

Co-organized by the World Water Council and the Government of Brazil, the 8th World Water Forum gathers over 12 Heads of State, upwards of 100 Ministers, Parliamentarians and Mayors and thousands of water and sustainable development experts and global citizens in Brazil to commemorate World Water Day on 22 March. 

More than 840 million people worldwide, or 1 in 9, do not have access to safe water, and 2.3 billion, or 1 in 3, lack access to a toilet. “Around the world, more people have mobiles phone than toilets,” explains Matt Damon, water activist and actor. In a global effort to avoid widespread water crises and to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation globally, the World Water Council organizes the 8th edition of its World Water Forum, which is taking place in Brasilia from 18 – 23 March, coinciding with World Water Day. 

The World Water Council selected the city of Brasilia and the country of Brazil to welcome the 8th World Water Forum in 2018, during its 51st Board of Governors meeting organized on 25-26 February in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea. The selection followed a rigorous evaluation process and ended with a vote today 26 February 2014. 

The vote is conditional upon the signature of an agreement between the World Water Council and the Government of Brazil, so as to specify the terms of their agreement.  

Local Authorities are faced with many competing challenges, exacerbated by population growth, changing consumption patterns and the impacts of climate variability. Ensuring water security and sanitation in cities is key to overcoming those challenges and safeguarding the well-being of city dwellers. However, change can occur only if political will is cultivated and cities have access to sufficient resources and mechanisms guiding them in the development and implementation of sustainable water management strategies at a local level.