Solutions for Water platform – World Water Forum 6th – Marseille 2012

Geographical Scope   • Northeast Asia: China, DPR Korea, Japan, Mongolia and Republic of Korea • South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka • Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, Vietnam • Oceania and Pacific: Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu • Central Asia: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan,  Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan • Invited countries: Israel, Iran   Background   The regional process leading up to the 4th World Water Forum clearly showed that several water-related issues and challenges were common across the entire Asia-Pacific region. Furthermore, with the increased interactions in the implementation of follow-up activities post the 3rd World Water Forum (Kyoto, 2003), regional stakeholders recognized that the diversity of the Asia-Pacific region was not an obstacle but rather an asset in addressing a wide range of water issues in the region. A new network platform therefore has been established, the Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF), to support partnership, and identify and adopt solutions to various water issues throughout the region.   The former cross-continental process Central Asia now is reincorporated as a sub-regional component under the Asia Pacific regional process. After the sub-regional symposium ‘Water in Central Asia’ in November 2010, the preparatory conference of “Cooperative Actions for Water Security” took in place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on May 12-13, 2011, where the concept notes for sub-regional priorities were debated and the draft Charter of Global Water Security was produced.   The Asia-Pacific regional process * A Weblog Forum was launched in December 2010 to facilitate opinion exchanges on the 6th World Water Forum within the APWF community. * A series of Asia-Pacific Regional Synthesis Meetings are planned to prepare the Asia-Pacific Water Summit and the 6th World Water Forum: – The 1st Synthesis Meeting was initially planned on 15-16 March 2011 in Tokyo. However, due to the dramatic consequences of the Great East Japan earthquake, this meeting was rescheduled to 21-22 April 2011 in Bangkok. Presentations and outcomes are available at: http://www.waterforum.jp/eng/2011/apwf/ – 2nd Meeting: 9 July 2011 in Singapore on the occasion of the Singapore Water Week – 3rd Meeting: 20 September 2011, Seoul, Korea – 4th Meeting: December 2011, Singapore (tbc) Regional targets Household Water Security: Reduce by half the number of people who do not have access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation in our region by 2015 and to reduce that number to achieve universal and sustainable targets by 2025. On sanitation, this includes the adoption of new and innovative sanitation systems that are not as water reliant as current methods. Economic, Food and Water Security: By 2012, propose a framework for action on water in green growth in support of economic, food and water security that addresses local, national and regional actions and could be included in the Forum’s political declarations. Urban Water Security: Reduce by half the number of people who do not have access to safe drinking water by 2015 and aim to reach universal and sustainable access to water and sanitation in the Asia-Pacific region by 2025. Water Risks and Resilience: By 2015, develop a strategic flood risk-management framework that engages emerging technologies and strengthens regional information systems for enhanced community resilience through appropriate policies and practices in the Himalayan region. IWRM Process for a Water Secure World Water Forum: Enhance capacity of River Basin Organizations to implement IWRM including adaptation to climate change. By 2015, creation of a financing mechanism for local governments that engaged with realization of the target C within the objective 7th of the Millennium Development Goals –reduce by half the percentage of population having no sustainable access to safe drinking water supply nor to basic purification services. By 2018, Northeast Asia countries will have committed to establish and manage a training centre in Northeast Asia responsive to water and climate change, which serves the purpose of research, education, and teacher training in North East Asia. So far 7 sub-targets have been developed for Central Asia which includes: 1) Guaranteeing water for future generations; 2) Risk Management and Water Security; 3) International cooperation on the issues of trans-boundary water courses management based on International Conventions; 4) Adoption of innovations in the agrarian sector in order to achieve food security;  5) Use of integrated water resources management as a tool for balancing multiple uses of water; 6) Climate change and conserving environmental capacity;  and 7) Sustainable water supply and sanitation.  A 2 hours target session will be organized for presenting and discussing relative solutions at the Forum as Central Asia’ s contributions to the Asia Pacific regional process.       Regional Coordinator and key partners

Targets

• AP1 Reduce by half the number of people who do not have access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation in our region by 2015 and to reduce that number to achieve universal and sustainable targets by 2025. On sanitation, this includes the adoption of new and innovative sanitation systems that are not as water reliant as current methods.

• AP2.1 By 2012, propose a framework for action on water in green growth in support of economic, food and water security, that addresses local, national and regional action and could be included in the Forum’s political declarations

• AP2.2 By 2015, creation of a mechanism of financing for local government engaged in the realization of the target C of the objective 7 of the Millennium Development Goals: reduce by half the percentage of population having no sustainable access to safe drinking water supply nor to basic purification services.

• AP3 Reduce by half the number of people who do not have access to safe drinking water by 2015 and aim to reach universal and sustainable access to water and sanitation in the Asia-Pacific region by 2025.

• AP4 By 2015, to develop a strategic flood risk-management framework that engages emerging technologies and strengthens regional information systems for enhanced community resilience through appropriate policies and practices in the Himalayan region.

• AP5.1 By 2018, Northeast Asia countries will have committed to establish and manage a training centre in Northeast Asia responsive to water and climate change, which serves the purpose of research, education, and teacher training in North East Asia.

• AP5.2 Enhance capacity of River Basin Organizations to implement IWRM including adaptation to climate change.

• AP6 Sub-region Central Asia