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Start page 1. World Water Council & World Water Forum 2. World Water Fora - 5th World Water Forum 3. Bridging and theme 4. Regional Proces 5. Benefits/Output 6. Organisation and Location 7. Participation 8. Costs 9. Miscellaneous 10. Political process 9. Miscellaneous 9.1 Are you going to solve the world’s water problems? To solve the world’s water problems, water must be on decision-makers agenda. The forum has become a primary means for keeping water on the agenda of senior water policy decision makers throughout the world. The Forum aims at facilitating solutions to the world’s water problems and promotes cooperation that would serve to solve those problems, but of course it, in itself, is not the final solution but simply a tool to aid in achieving global water security. The world’s water problems will only be solved with the right governance, technical, administrative, legal and participative framework, which the Forum aims to support. 9.2 Why is so much water wasted? Is the world running out of water? Are climate and other global changes reducing our water supply? Are there going to be more floods? Will the next war be over water? Since the beginning of humanity, , and today, there is enough water in the world if we learn how to share it and use it more efficiently. However, with the growing world population, particularly in developing countries, and the wasting of water, distribution of the resources does not fit with the locations of the demands causing the resources to be stretched to breaking point in certain regions. Water is wasted for many reasons, such as poor management, aging infrastructure, inefficient farming techniques and industrial pollution, and relatively little wastewater around the world is treated to be reused. But, all these reasons are due to a lack of awareness combined with a lack of political will and technical capacity. The World Water Vision that was published in 2000 on the occasion of the 2nd Forum estimated that if we keep on managing water so poorly (the “business-as-usual” scenario), it will become a scarce resource in the coming years. The aim of the Forum is to influence policies towards sound water management in order to avoid such a crisis. Most of the effects of climate variability and change will be on or through water. The frequency of extreme events could increase and the distribution of those events may change. The recently released IPCC report gives a good overview of the threat of climate change for water. Increasing floods, droughts and storms will have a catastrophic impact on water supply, threatening the life and livelihood of millions of people. For example, the reports forecasts that within 50 years extreme drought will affect over 10% of the planet instead of 2% today. More flooding will also likely occur in coastal areas. The recently released IPCC report gives a good overview of the potential threat of climate change for water. Likely increasing floods, droughts and storms will have a catastrophic impact on water supply, threatening the life and livelihood of millions of people. The next war will not be over water. This has been stated time and again by experts all over the world. However, disputes do arise over water, from the international level down to the local level, so people must be aware of ways to mitigate such disputes and prevent them from escalating. One of the aims of the Forum is precisely to identify where problems may arise before they turn into conflict and how to resolve them through dialog and cooperation. Don’t forget: Water connects and does not divide. 9.3 Is the Forum a vehicle for Turkey to control the water in the region? The Forum supports transboundary cooperation, integrated vision and integrated water management. It favours collaboration, supports the prevention of conflicts and creates an enabling environment for cooperation; it does not make judgements about what water management choices may be best for a particular region, but rather offers opportunities for parties in the regions to talk about these issues and offers options for a fair and equitable utilisation and sharing of the benefits of water resources. Turkey, as the host country, has taken on the responsibility of convening the World Water Forum and therefore understands that the Forum is a global event that does not strive to push a particular country’s agenda at the global level. 9.4 Is this Forum a vehicle for private water companies to commoditize water? The Forum is a place to discuss solutions for water issues, taking into account the local specificities of each situation and each region. All kinds of solutions are presented and discussed during the Fora, from public-private partnerships to decentralization and strengthening local authorities. Since all actors are present, private companies are represented, as are NGOs, users, etc, but none may dominate debates or unduly influence the outcomes. The Forum is not a place for private firms to commoditize water but, to the contrary, to discuss and find common solutions that may be acceptable to and for the benefit of all parties. 9.5 Are you planning to organize social events (a rock concert for water)? Several social events are being planned for the World Water Forum Week, including the “International Water & Film Event”, a photo exhibition, a music concert and several other activities that remain to be confirmed.