Ministers attending the 10th World Water Forum have issued an urgent call to translate commitments into policies, plans, and actions by conserving, protecting, and sustainably using water resources, including groundwater. The Forum sought to provide a global platform for exploring inclusive and innovative solutions for critical water-related issues to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs by 2030.

Held under the theme, ‘Water for Shared Prosperity,’ the 10th World Water Forum convened in Bali, Indonesia, from 18-25 May 2024. The Ministerial Meeting took place from 20-21 May.

Actions listed in the Ministerial Declaration on ‘Water for Shared Prosperity’ include:

• Incorporating water issues into action plans on increasing the financing of: adaptation to climate change; and the prevention of air, land, and water, pollution, biodiversity loss, and the decline ecosystem services;
• Implementing measures and actions to reduce pressure on water availability, including by strengthening access to clean water and sanitation for all;
• Encouraging the establishment or strengthening of national integrated water resources management (IWRM) policies, plans, and actions in a systemic manner; and
• Proposing UN World Lake Day to highlight the role of natural and artificial lakes as significant water resources that contribute to the availability and accessibility of water.

The ministers welcomed the initiative of the Government of Indonesia and the World Water Council as the Forum’s co-hosts to mobilize and compile voluntary commitments to actions across countries, sectors, and stakeholders, to accelerate implementation of SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and contribute to the UN Water Action Agenda.

The Compendium of Concrete Deliverables and Actions encompasses 113 projects, initiatives, and collaborations in the field of water and sanitation, to help ensure effective policymaking and long-term commitment to water solutions, in alignment with the Ministerial Declaration. These deliverables and actions represent voluntary submissions from participating countries, international organizations, the private sector, and stakeholders. The proposing countries and organizations will retain the ownership of and be responsible for the implementation of the projects they submit.

In his video message to the Forum on 20 May, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the launch of the UN’s system-wide strategy on water and sanitation in July. He said the UN Water Conferences in 2026 and 2028 will serve as “milestone moments … to carry this work forward.”

In his remarks, President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Dennis Francis looked forward to the outcomes of the Forum informing the deliberations leading up to the UN Water Conference in 2026.

The Tenth World Water Forum included 20 high-level panels, which discussed, inter alia: the proposal to establish the Global Water Fund; the climate-water-energy-food-ecology system of systems; global water governance; advancing prosperity across the entire water cycle; and the role of the private sector in meeting the goals of SDG 6. Numerous thematic and regional sessions and side events also convened.

The 11th World Water Forum will convene on the theme, ‘Action for a Better Tomorrow,’ in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027. [10th World Water Forum Outcomes]