IISD RS @ 5th World Water Forum - Highlights for Wednesday, 18 March 2009 - Istanbul

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5th World Water Forum

16-22 March 2009 | Istanbul, Turkey

A view of Istanbul from the venue.


	Daily web coverage More Photographs - 16 March - 17 March - 18 March - 19 March - 20 March - 21 March - 22 March


	Highlights for Wednesday, 18 March 2009 The 5th World Water Forum continued on Wednesday, 18 March in Istanbul, Turkey. Participants attended the Africa region presentation, as well as a presentation on the sub-region “In and Around Turkey,” in which they heard a speech by former Turkish President, Süleyman Demirel. Parliamentarians met throughout the day to prepare their output as part of the political process. Participants continued to attend thematic sessions and side events throughout the day, while the Water Fair and Expo continued at the Forum’s two venues. In the evening, participants enjoyed a range of performances by Turkish artists celebrating cultural diversity.


	Regional presentation on the sub-region “In and Around Turkey”

Süleyman Demirel, former President, Turkey, addressed Forum participants at the session on the region “In and Around Turkey.”

Süleyman Demirel, former President, Turkey, stressed that human beings have an obligation to protect the earth through better water management practices, emphasizing that “water is the center of the universe.”

Participants applauding Süleyman Demirel’s speech.

Haydar Koçaker, Director General of Turkey’s State Hydraulic Works, said preparation for the sub-regional session included 22 preparatory sessions based on full stakeholder consultation.

Veysel Eroğlu, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Turkey

A packed Sadabad room during Süleyman Demirel’s speech.

L-R: Süleyman Demirel, former President, Turkey, and Veysel Eroğlu, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Turkey

L-R: Oktay Tabasaran, Secretary General, 5th World Water Forum, and Veysel Eroğlu, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Turkey

Ömer Özdemir, State Hydraulic Works, Turkey, presented the Metropolitan Drinking Water Initiative, which provides fresh drinking water to Istanbul residents.

Levent Kavvas, University of California, Davis, described a hydro-climatic model of the Tigris-Euphrates watershed for the study of water balances, noting that increased temperatures within the basin and surrounding area has led to the melting of snow and subsequent rise in water levels in the basin.


	Awards were given at the closing of the Turkey Country Day session.

View of Sadabad room in the afternoon.


	Can Climate Change Adaptation be Adequately Financed?

L-R: Vahid Alavian, World Bank; Roger Calow, Overseas Development Institute; Nanki Kaur, Overseas Development Institute; Jochen Harnisch, KfW Development Bank; and Juergen Welschof, KfW Development Bank

Nadia Abdul, Alexandria Water Utility, Egypt, highlighted water efficiency, infrastructure and scaling up of desalination programmes as key adaptation measures in the Nile Delta.

Participants engaged in discussion following the panel sessions.

Participants during the session.


	Regional presentation on Africa

Erastus Mwencha, African Union (AU) Commission

L-R: Sfara Giorgio, Chair of the G8 Expert Group for Water and Sanitation; Erastus Mwencha, AU Commission; Prince of Orange Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Chair of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB); Asfaw Dingamo, Minister of Water Resources, Ethiopia, and Chairperson of the Regional Steering Committee; Oktay Tabasaran, Secretary General, 5th World Water Forum; Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO); and Bai-Mass Taal, Executive Secretary, AMCOW

Bai-Mass Taal, Executive Secretary, AMCOW

Sfara Giorgio, Chair of the G8 Expert Group for Water and Sanitation

Prince of Orange Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, and Chair of UNSGAB

Oktay Tabasaran, Secretary General, 5th World Water Forum


	South African dancers entertained delegates during the session.

Delegates during the session.


	Water Right in Emergency: Be principled or get practical?

L-R: Clarissa Brocklehurst, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF); Julie Aubriot, Action Contre la Faim (ACF); Antoine Delepière, Terre des Hommes; Jean Lapègue, ACF; Cyril Laucci, International Committee of the Red Cross; Jakaranda Neptune, UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti; Lara El-Jazairi, Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions; and Fuad Bateh, Legal Consultant to the Palestinian Water Authority

Clarissa Brocklehurst, UNICEF, explained the cluster approach for humanitarian response activities, where aid groups coordinate efforts.

Julie Aubriot, ACF, noted that few organizations are working on both human rights and water and sanitation, and stressed the importance of developing a common language across these groups.

Antoine Delepière, Terre des Hommes, discussed on-the-ground implementation of a rights-based approach, highlighting challenges for community engagement in times of emergency.


	Parliamentarians

Adnan Mohammad Badran, Jordan, emphasized that access to water is a basic human right, which should be implemented by parliamentarians in national laws.

Köksal Toptan, Turkish Grand National Assembly, welcomed parliamentarians from around the world, noting the gravity of the global water crisis and important role of effective legislation in water governance.

Alan Meale, UK and Council of Europe, stressed the impacts of climate change on: water availability, aquatic ecosystems, and the occurrence of water disasters.

Narcio Rodriguez, Brazil, called for the creation of a permanent global water parliament, under the aegis of the WWC and UNESCO-International Hydrological Programme (IHP), to coordinate efforts of parliamentarians addressing water issues around the world.

Cho Jin Hyeong, Republic of Korea, argued that drought and desertification cause decreasing vegetation and food availability in Asia, while restoration and prevention lessen stress from cyclical drought and floods.

Parliamentarians during the session discussing global change.

Mustafa Öztürk, Turkish Grand National Assembly, introduced a session on global changes.

Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines, European Paliament

William Cosgrove, World Water Assessment Programme, during his keynote speech.

L-R: Mustafa Öztürk, Turkish Grand National Assembly; Moderator Victor Ruffy, Switzerland; and William Cosgrove, World Water Assessment Programme

L-R: Joshua Newton, UNESCO-IHP, and William Cosgrove, World Water Assessment Programme

Narcio Rodriguez, Brazil, spoke with other parliamentarians.

Participants during a coffee break.


	Around the Forum

Local dancers posed for a photograph during the afternoon.

L-R: Çiğdem İyigün, 5th World Water Forum Secretariat, and Nancy Williams, IISD, outside the IISD office.

Water art.


	Daily web coverage 16 March - 17 March - 18 March - 19 March - 20 March - 21 March - 22 March


	Related Links


	World Water Forum resources 5th World Water Forum home page Live broadcast from the Forum venue 5th World Water Forum Virtual Meeting Space 5th World Water Forum Registration World Water Council home page International Environmental Water Allocations IISD RS resources IISD RS coverage of the 4th World Water Forum, 16-22 March 2006, Mexico City, Mexico IISD RS coverage of the 3rd World Water Forum, 16-23 March 2003, Kyoto, Osaka, and Shiga, Japan IISD RS coverage of meetings on Water, Oceans, and Wetlands Water-l - A news and announcement list on water policy issues Linkages Update - Bi-weekly international environment and sustainable development news MEA Bulletin - Newsletter on key MEAs and their secretariats African Regional Coverage Climate Change Policy & Practice - A knowledge management project for international negotiations and related activities on climate change

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