Joko Widodo calls on the world to achieve inclusive water governance – National

President Joko Widodo accompanied by Chairman of the World Water Council Loic Fauchon, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Minister of PUPR Basuki Hadimuljono opened the 10th World Water Forum (ANTARA FOTO/Media Center World Water Forum 2024/April Akbar/Spt)

The world's largest water forum must revitalize real action and common commitment by sharing knowledge, encouraging innovative solutions and achieving integrated water resources management. “This is about strengthening commitment and formulating concrete actions related to inclusive and sustainable water management,” Jokowi said at the opening of the 10th High-Level Meeting (HLM) of the Global Forum water, Monday (20/5). In an Antara report, he said that water plays an important and central role in human life. In fact, it is so important that water is called the next oil or the oil of the future. The same is true from an economic point of view. Water shortages can slow economic growth by up to 6 percent until 2050. This is why, before participants of the 10th World Water Forum, he revealed that over the past 10 years, Indonesia has strengthened water infrastructure, such as the construction of 42 dams, 1.18 million hectares of irrigation network. Then, the government also rehabilitated about 4.3 million hectares of irrigation networks and constructed 2,156 kilometers of flood control and coastal protection schemes. Indonesia is also using water to build the Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant (PLTS). This PLTS is the largest in Southeast Asia. “However, all these efforts are not enough. Water and sanitation problems will become even more serious in the future. These efforts must be strengthened globally, both by the state and by the private sector and society civil,” he said. At this high-level meeting, Indonesia launched four new initiatives, namely the establishment of World Lakes Day, the establishment of a center of excellence in the Asia-Pacific region for water security and climate, sustainable water management in small island countries and the promotion of water-related projects to ensure that political commitment is transformed into concrete action. “Water is not just a natural product, but a collaborative product that connects and unites us. Preserving water is our collective responsibility,” Jokowi said while concluding his speech. Previously, the President of the World Water Council, Loïc Fauchon, encouraged the heads of state and delegations present to include the right to water in the constitutions, laws and regulations of their respective countries. This will accelerate the achievement of justice in access to water and sanitation worldwide. “Thus, step by step, we can propose that the right to access to water be respected for all,” he said. On this occasion, Loïc Fauchon declared that his party would present the Money for Water coalition at the next United Nations conference and would invite all countries to join it. The coalition includes sub-sovereignty and water debt forgiveness for the world's poorest countries. “We want to ensure that the majority of climate finance is primarily devoted to water, including wastewater,” said Loïc. Loïc called for international action to ensure more active and decentralized governance based on multilateral cooperation. “As we do in this forum, it is also important to strengthen the rules of mediation for rivers, lakes and watersheds. Water diplomacy actually brings peace to the shores, instead of provoking war in the rivers,” he said. Apart from this, hydrodiplomacy constitutes a concrete and creative step in the management of transboundary water resources. Following the forum, a ministerial declaration will be ratified containing three of Indonesia's national interests, namely proposing World Lakes Day, establishing a center of excellence for water and climate security and raising the issue integrated management of water resources on small islands. Besides opening the high-level meeting, President Joko Widodo is also expected to visit Tahura Ngurah Rai, Bali, with state leaders and delegates of the 10th World Water Forum.(CSP)