Budapest Water Summit (BWS) 2016
28-30 November 2016 | Budapest, Hungary
Highlights for Wednesday, 30 November 2016
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Highlights for Wednesday, 30 November 2016
A High-level Special Session on Climate Change and Water also took place, with addresses by leaders and representatives of Saudi Arabia, Poland, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Council for Science, the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, and the Green Climate Fund. Speakers noted the increasing impacts on water and the growing scale of the challenge. Participants discussed how to achieve integrated approaches to water management and underlined the need to maintain the “water momentum” displayed at the 22nd Conference of Parties (COP-22) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Marrakech, Morocco, earlier in November 2016. In the afternoon, András Szöllősi-Nagy, Co-Chair of the Budapest Water Summit, invited participants to discuss the Budapest Water Summit Messages document, which presents ideas for water management within the 15-year framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Rapporteurs from each of the six sessions that took place during the Summit reported to plenary the main outcomes of discussions. Delegates also heard report-backs from the Women, Civil, Science-Technology and Youth Forums that took place in parallel with the Summit. At the closing session, Szöllősi-Nagy explained that the Messages will remain a living document. Participants then welcomed the Messages by acclamation. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius, Co-Chair of the High-Level Panel on Water, reminded participants that water demands an urgent response, and that immediate action is a matter of dignity, justice and survival. Csaba Balogh, Minister of State for Public Administration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary, said that the Summit had undoubtedly been a milestone in the global water agenda, drawing 2,600 participants from 117 countries. The meeting closed at 4.55 pm. |
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IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports and a summary report from BWS 2016, which is available in HTML and PDF. |
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Highlights for Tuesday, 29 November 2016
The Budapest Water Summit resumed discussions on Tuesday in four plenary sessions covering: water-use efficiency; integrated water resources management (IWRM); water quality; and water-related ecosystems. Ministers from China, Jordan, Lao PDR, Senegal and Tajikistan addressed delegates on a range of issues, drawing attention to progress in water management in their respective countries. High-level representatives from UN agencies, development banks, universities and companies engaged in water-intensive activities also took part in the discussions. Participants acknowledged the need for: appropriate water pricing policies that will build in support for the most vulnerable; increasing the productivity of water in agriculture; intersectoral cooperation that engages all water-related sectors; and transboundary cooperation for river basin management. Calling for a holistic approach, many expressed support for promoting joint, multi-stakeholder efforts toward implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) on water. They also discussed approaches to “blended finance” and public-private partnerships that will provide the necessary funds and expertise to develop water infrastructure, especially in developing countries. At lunchtime, the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) celebrated the 20th anniversary of the UNECE Water Convention with a birthday cake and a line-up of speakers. UNECE Executive Secretary Christian Friis Bach highlighted the success of the Convention in promoting good practice and securing financial resources for projects, and he noted interest in the potential for an intergovernmental platform for long-term political cooperation on water issues. In the evening, delegates continued their deliberations on a draft outcome statement from the Budapest Water Summit and attended a function titled “Water Connects – Wine Unites.” |
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Photos by IISD/ENB | Sean Wu |
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Highlights for Monday, 28 November 2016
The Budapest Water Summit opened on Monday morning at the Millenáris Park conference center, to the rhapsodic strains of Hungarian music and a live sand animation performance by film director Ferenc Cakó, illustrating the vital importance of clean water for communities around the world. In his opening address, János Áder, President of Hungary, identified water as the most significant issue of the 21st century. UN General Assembly President Peter Thomson, World Bank managing director Joaquim Levy and the heads of state of Bangladesh, Mauritius, and Tajikistan, addressed delegates at the opening, and messages were conveyed from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Archbishop of Constantinople Bartholomew I, and Pope Francis. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius and Co-Chair of the High-Level Panel on Water (HLPW), emphasized small island states’ extreme exposure to the impacts of climate change, and announced that the HLPW is currently taking stock of financing mechanisms for the water sector. Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan, stressed the importance of water for agriculture and energy production for development. Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, outlined the HLPW’s priorities, including: building resilience to disasters; ensuring equitable water distribution; and developing resilient crop varieties and agricultural technologies. In the morning and afternoon, a series of panels convened. The opening panel of speakers discussed how water connects the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The following sessions featured speakers and high-level panelists who discussed ways to provide safe and affordable drinking water, and to improve sanitation and hygiene. In the evening, delegates attended a concert and reception at the Palace of the Arts. |
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Photos by IISD/ENB | Sean Wu |
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