Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia called for equal access to clean water on small islands at the 10th World Water Forum (WWF) in Bali.
Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, stated that most small island countries faced the same problems, such as limited resources, urbanization, agriculture, remoteness, vulnerability to natural disasters, and a vulnerable natural environment.
"In small island developing countries, these challenges are further exacerbated by a lack of financial resources and technical capacity, thereby disrupting the implementation of climate resilience plans," he noted in a statement from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics on Thursday.
He explained that to address various water-related problems, it is important to facilitate the development of a knowledge-based understanding of the impact of climate change on small island countries, small islands, and states.
Call for concerted action, problem-solving
World Water Council (WWC) President Loic Fauchon said that finding solutions to water problems must be carried out simultaneously with efforts to overcome food and energy problems.
Speaking at the "Climate-Water-Energy-Food-Ecology System of Systems" session of the 10th World Water Forum in Bali on Thursday, he emphasized that water's impact goes beyond one sector. Effective water sustainability requires coordinated action from related sectors.
Fauchon also called water a political tool, saying that good governance is essential to ensuring that water is managed fairly and sustainably.
"Hence, beyond this cross-sectoral approach, it is imperative to have decision-making based on solid scientific data and responsibility in the use of water resources," Fauchon stated.
He remarked that solutions to water problems have so far only been addressed vertically within organizations. However, cross-sectoral solutions are also necessary. This, he said, could be a new vision for water sustainability in the future.
Push for integrated center of excellence (CoE)
Indonesia has initiated efforts to establish an integrated center of excellence (CoE) on water and climate resilience to address the global water crisis.
Dwikorita Karnawati, head of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) Agency, said in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Thursday that while centers of excellence exist, they are operating independently at present.
She said that five working groups have been formed to prepare concrete steps that will be followed up in a coordinated manner with the other centers.
The working groups will meet at least once every six months to ensure continued progress on the integrated CoE.
The CoE will be the cornerstone of an alliance that coordinates steps taken by the various centers of excellence to tackle water issues globally.
Collaboration to protect coasts, rehabilitate mangroves
Indonesia and Suriname have reached an agreement to protect coasts and rehabilitate mangroves, marking an important milestone in their bilateral relations Suriname had shown keen interest in the sediment capture unit project implemented successfully in Demak, Central Java.
This interest has been formalized in the form of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Indonesia and Suriname The 10th World Water Forum communication and media team said on Thursday that the agreement was reached during the forum, which is being held in Bali.
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The collaboration aims to increase the ecological, social, and economic benefits of mangrove ecosystems for both countries and contribute to efforts to overcome the negative impacts of global climate change.
Free tours for delegates
The organizing committee of the 10th World Water Forum is providing tours to delegates on May 23-25 in Bali. Delegates who wish to join the tours can register on the website worldwaterforum.org. Participants can choose to visit one of the tourist destinations in Bali, including the Jatiluwih terraced rice fields, Bedugul Botanical Garden, Monkey Forest, Ubud Cultural Village, and Lake Batur.
Free tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limited quota of 50 people on May 23-24 and 100 people on May 25.