World Water Forum

The World Water Forum (WWF) is the biggest water-related event and is organised by the World Water Council (WWC), an international multi-stakeholder platform bringing together nearly 400 institutions, from nearly 70 countries around the world. The WWF encourage debates and exchanges of experience, aiming to reach a common strategic vision on water resources and water services management amongst all in the water community. The event is promoted every three years and in March 2018, it will be held in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time, as the 8th edition takes place in Brasília, Brasil. 

WYN’s history is closely related to the WWFs. The first steps to start the network were led by youth attending WWF6, held in France, in 2012. Since then, WYN advocates for youth representativeness and meaningful participation in all the Forum processes, having led the Youth Forum in WWF7. Now, WWF8 marks the first time in which WYN has a seat in the scientific and technical organisation of the event, being selected for the group of coordinators for the Thematic Process carrying the main theme of the Forum: SHARING. We are working alongside UNESCO and other mainstream organisations, and have successfully advocated for the inclusion of other youth initiatives from all over the world in the processes leading to WWF8.  

WORLD WATER FORUM 8 – BRASILIA, BRAZIL

The Water Youth Network is working towards ensuring the maximal participation of young people (volunteers, students, professionals) at the World Water Forum 8. We believe that young people should not only participate as active listeners. Instead, we aim to create the enabling environment and spaces for youth organizations and young people to show what are already doing in terms of securing water and the achievement of the different SDGs.

World Water Forum is divided into different processes and themes.

Water Youth Network is engaged in regional, political, citizens forum process and in thematic process.

Confirmed Water Youth Network engagement:

REGIONAL PROCESS:

•Americas session: E-learning tools to support water education

POLITICAL PROCESS:

•Co-development of youth statement.

•Satellite Events all over the world (click on the country to check the videos): 

• The Netherlands
• USA
• Mexico
• Uganda
• Japan
• Colombia
• India
• Cameroon
• Kazakhstan
• Italy

CITIZEN’S FORUM:

•Citizen’s Village Youth Booth: YOUTH GLOBAL ACTIONS MAP FOR A SAFE WATER FUTURE: nature and community based experiences for water solutions.

THEMATIC PROCESS:

The WYN team has participation as panelist and/or moderator in the following sessions:

• March 19th:

• Multi-stakeholder platforms and practices as a solution to SDG 6’ shared challenges.
• Uncertainty, vulnerabilities and resilience.
• Water related SDGs in crises prone regions.

• Broadening the access to financial resources to periurban low-income areas and small scale water services.
• Sharing technological, social and financial innovations.
• How climate change affects all the different water users: The need for cross-sectoral approaches for adaptation.
• Addressing hydro-climatic risk of vulnerable communities on a sub-national level.

• Adapting institutional policies to collaborative water governance: the path to enable S&T and policy dialogue.
• Involving All Through a Stakeholder Driven Process.
• From water use efficiency to stewardship: Is industry aware of its water-related risks and opportunities?
• Financing multi-purpose infrastructure for sustainable growth.
• From the 7th to the 8th World Water Forum: Three years of Implementation Roadmaps.
• Sustainability challenges need integrated solutions in the Arab Region: Is Water, Energy Food the answer?
• Community based management for water and sanitation: how to ensure participatory approaches?

• Water-use efficiency and sustainable withdrawals: coping with water scarcity.
• How to expand support to international cooperation and capacity building to achieve SDG 6?
• Community based management for water and sanitation.

BUT WE ALSO ORGANIZED SPECIAL EVENTS!!!

@ The Dutch Pavilion:

• Shaping the youth water Agenda – March 20th,12:30 – 13:30 hrs.
• Youth roadmap towards WWF9 in Dakar, Senegal, March 22nd,13:30 – 14:30 hrs.

WATER AND JOBS!  

March 22nd, 9:00 – 11:00 hrs. Room 42
young water professionals to interact directly with the current water leaders, international organizations as well as their future employers in the water industry.

@ The Waterlution booth:

• Water Innovation Village – March 20th, 16:30 – 18:00 hrs.
• Bringing back the sacred to water: Inter-generational dialogue on indigenous wisdom across cultures – March 20th, 18:00 – 19:30 hrs.

DAILY SUMMARIES!!!!

OK, the WWF8 is currently taking place and we know not everybody had the opportunity to be here, so  if you want to know a bit of what has been going on in terms of youth involvement and inclusion… This is the place!!!

Click on the buttons to check the daily summaries we have  put together and check out the pictures as well!!!

Saturday March 17th

More updates:

Important links:

Registration: http://www.worldwaterforum8.org/en/register

Program: download it here

Who is working in the WYN involvement at the WWF8?

We have a whole big and diverse group of young talent working in the involvement of the youth inside the World Water Forum 8, if you want to take a look at these interesting faces click on the button:

Meet the Team!

For more information on WWF or the WWC, please visit their websites, and contact the WYN’s Coordinator of the project: Camilo Benitez.

Some pictures of the WYN involvement at WWF7 in South Korea on 2015

Some of our partners and collaborators at WWF8 are:

WWF8 Coordinator

Camilo Benitez

Camilo is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Construction Management and Engineering at the University of Twente, The Neatherlands. He holds a degree in Political Science, a MPhil in System Dynamics, and a MSc in Business Administration. He is interested in developing theoretical insights into the ways that project partners solve contractual issues during the exploitation phase of Public-Private Partnerships. He has been involved in WYN since 2015, bringing youth voice in venues such as Singapore Water Week and OECD’s Water Governance Programme. At the moment is the focal point of WYN for the WWF8.

His LinkedIn profile can be found here and his email address is c.benitez@wateryouthnetwork.org