Today, more than half the world’s population live in towns and cities. Demographic growth and migration may only exacerbate this trend and by 2050, 70% of the population could be living in urban areas. If we do not take the right measures, rapid urbanization will outpace formal planning. Cities and urban dwellers will be over-exposed to weather-related hazards and will be left with inadequate water and sanitation services. The consequences will be devastating for public health, economic productivity and the surrounding ecosystems.

On 17 October 2018, President Braga chaired a Round-table Meeting of Leaders of Water-related International Organizations in Beijing, China, convened to celebrate the 60th anniversary of WWC member, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR). The discussions, held in the presence of Mr. Xuebin Tian, Vice-Minister of Water Resources of China, centered around the subject of Connectivity for an Innovative Water Future.

Sunday, 14 October 2018, at the Opening Ceremony of the First Water Week in Cairo, Loïc Fauchon, Honorary President of the World Water Council and President of the Société des Eaux de Marseille, spoke in front of some 20 Ministers and more than 40 international delegations, along with His Excellency Mustafa Madbouli, Prime Minister of Egypt, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Aty, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, and the Deputy Secretary General of the UN. 

Following an analytical workshop held with the WWC staff in Marseille and a first note discussed by the Board of Governors during its meeting in Dakar in June, a zero draft of the WWC future triennial strategy was disseminated to members for comments.

"The Korea International Water Week is well placed to become a long-term development platform for Asian countries by establishing Korea as a key player providing scientific and technical solutions", declared the President of the World Water Council, Benedito Braga, at the opening ceremony of the 2018 edition, which was held from 12 to 15 of September 2018. Focusing on the theme ‘Water Partnership for Sustainable Development’, the event aimed at designing concrete and feasible implementation of solutions. 

The World Water Council co-convened two sessions on 27 and 29 August on the topic of financing water infrastructure during this year’s World Water Week in Stockholm. Indeed, in his opening statement during Wednesday’s event, the President of Hungary, Janos Ader, called for immediate action to triple the funds available for water-related investments, as “we have much less time than we assumed.”

The World Water Week in Stockholm proved to be very fruitful this year for the World Water Council. In addition to the activities related to the Council’s financing work, the Council also co-convened two events on climate change and a very interactive showcase event on the outcomes of the 8th World Water Forum in Brasilia and the preparation of the Dakar 2021 World Water Forum.

Today water is high on the global agenda as an issue of the utmost importance to national security, economic and social development, peace and environmental sustainability.
 

Youth play an important role in impacting policy dialogue at local and global scales, and the World Water Council is committed to strengthening the role of youth for water security, adaptation, and sustainability.