UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network / 26 June 2008 -- Singapore - Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large of Singapore, chaired the Asia-Pacific Water Forum’s (APWF) 3rd Governing Council meeting at Singapore’s Suntec Convention Centre Monday on the occasion of the 1st Singapore International Water Week, and announced Singapore’s intention to host the 2^nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit in 2010.

“With record floods and droughts, soaring food prices and hundreds of millions still lacking access to water and basic sanitation, water is unmistakably a fundamental aspect of human security for the Asia-Pacific region. We need to keep mobilizing our region’s leaders to advance the water security agenda, and we will invite them to come discuss these issues in Singapore in 2010, at the 2^nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit in 2010”, said Prof. Tommy Koh, chair of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum’s Governing Council.

Meeting for the first time since the landmark 1st Asia-Pacific Water Summit (1st APWS) held in Beppu, Japan, to follow-up and review progress on water initiatives, the Governing Council meeting was attended by senior water specialists from the five corners of the region and representatives of the APWF’s lead organizations, namely, ADB, ICHARM, FAO, PUB, UNESCO, SOK, UN-HABITAT, UNESCAP, JWF, KWF, GWP, SOPAC, ICIMOD, JICA and the Asia Society.

Upon reviewing the recommendations and concrete initiatives in the APWF Policy Brief 2007 and the “Message from Beppu” one of the 1^st APWS’ outcome documents, the region is striving to achieve progress on specific fronts of the water challenge such as, water financing, water-related disasters and water for development and ecosystems. 

As pertains to water and sanitation financing, ADB has boosted investments in the water sector, with years 2006-2007 registering nearly $2.3 billion in new investments, and expects to catalyze $8 billion more in co-financing by 2010. 

Japan has been taking steps to enhance attention devoted to water issues with water and sanitation having figured prominently in the recent Tokyo International Conference on African Development. 

JBIC and JICA, Japan’s leading agencies on international development are providing support to domestic political and expert processes on water and sanitation and issuing new loans in the sector.

The APWF is celebrating the launch of the Proceedings of the 1st Asia-Pacific Water Summit (1^st APWS), in presence of the Former Prime Minister of Japan, H.E. Mr. Yoshiro Mori, President of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum who arrived today in Singapore. 

As he states in the book, “based on the recognition that access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation is a basic human right and a basis of human security, the 1st APWS set new goals to be accomplished by 2025. These goals are one step ahead of the Millennium Development Goals of 2015, and are unprecedented anywhere in the world.” 

Under the theme, Water Security: Leadership and Commitment, Heads of State of the region and high level dignitaries agreed at the 1st APWS, the first ever Water Summit to have been convened in the world, to “accord the highest priority to water and sanitation in our economic and development plans and agendas...” -Excerpt, Message from Beppu.

Banking on the attendance of the region’s main water stakeholders to the SIWW, the 1st Regional Meeting of the 5th World Water Forum is to be held at Singapore’s WaterHub, 27th June 2008, with the objective to coordinate Asia-Pacific’s regional and subregional inputs into the 5th World Water Forum, to be held next year in Turkey.

The Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) is working to increase the region’s access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, rehabilitate urban waterways and protect the environmental integrity, and reduce people’s vulnerability to water-related disasters. The APWF champions efforts aimed at boosting investments, building capacity, increasing public outreach and enhancing cooperation in the water sector at the regional level.  

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For press inquiries, contact:  

* Asia-Pacific Water Forum Secretariat; Japan Water Forum

Attn: Marisha Shibuya / Noriko Yamaguchi　　TEL：03-5212-1645 　FAX：03-5212-1649

e-mail press@waterforum.jp   URL http://www.apwf.org

Labels: United Nations, U.N., MaximsNews WATER, water, Asia-Pacific Water Forum, Asia-Pacific Water Summit, APWF, APWS, Singapore International Water Week, SIWW, Yoshiro Mori, Tommy Koh, ADB, ESCAP, FAO, Asia Society, UN-HABITAT, PUB, JICA, GWP, international development, environment, water news, water sustainability, water resource, water management, global water crisis, sustainable development

 

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