On Sunday morning, visiting Heads of State, Ministers and senior officials arrived at the opening of the Second Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Plodprasop Suraswadi, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, welcomed delegates, and Emomalii Rahmon, President of Tajikistan, gave the keynote address highlighting the critical role of cooperation in addressing water security challenges.

Tommy Koh, outgoing Chair of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum Governing Council, recalled the achievements of the APWF in adopting solutions to water issues, and speakers from several UN agencies and water-focused organizations urged participants to take action on water management for household use, industry and agriculture, livable cities, resilient communities, and restoration of river basin ecosystems.

Following the opening plenary in the morning, participants met in four parallel focus area sessions on: economic, food and water security; urban water security; environmental water security; and water-related disaster challenges. In the afternoon, three focus area sessions took place, on: household water security; water risks and resilience; and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) for a water-secure world.