Ministers and experts from around the world began discussions on solving water shortage problems and related environmental issues on Monday, the second day of the 7th World Water Forum, organizers said.
The six-day WWF is the world’s largest water event in which world leaders, experts, business officials and activist groups gather to discuss political and technological aspects of global concerns regarding water shortage issues.
Various sessions were held to discuss ways to resolve water-related issues in the southeastern cities of Daegu and Gyeongju, with specialists and scholars sharing advanced technologies to manage water use and supply.
Speaking at the opening of a ministerial meeting, South Korea’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Yoo Il-ho stressed the need for global cooperation to resolve the water issue.
“Water is crucial for the existence and prosperity of mankind, but many parts of the world are suffering from difficulties related to water shortages,” he said. “The problem should be tackled by the entire world, not by one country.”
“This year marks the final timeline for the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, and so the 7th WWF holds a very significant meaning. We should come up with meaningful outcomes that can be applied to help achieve those development goals.” Yoo said.
Some 100 ministers and other politicians from different countries took part in the political process of the session, and discussed problems regarding water sustainability, management and safety, among other issues.
Also during the political process, ministers from South Korea, Japan and China vowed to further boost trilateral cooperation in tackling issues related to water and agreed to share their know-how with others in overcoming such problems.
“We share the recognition that water policy innovation and reform should be promoted by each country in order to strengthen the core role of water resource in sustainable development, improve synergy among relevant government agencies and relevant stakeholders, enhance the resilience of water infrastructure and attract more financial investment into the water sector,” the ministers said in a joint statement released by Seoul’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
This year’s event also includes sessions on the science and technological aspects of the global issues, which the event’s organizers say is a first for the WWF, which first began in 1997.
Discussions for local and regional authorities also began on the same day, where participants gathered to analyze ongoing water shortage issues for different parts of the world.
The Citizen’s Forum, held on the sidelines of the triennial WWF, also raised its curtain on Monday, with activist groups, students and other participants from around the world exchanging views on raising awareness of the water shortage problem. (Yonhap)
