The World Water Week in Stockholm proved to be very fruitful this year for the World Water Council. In addition to the activities related to the Council’s financing work, the Council also co-convened two events on climate change and a very interactive showcase event on the outcomes of the 8th World Water Forum in Brasilia and the preparation of the Dakar 2021 World Water Forum.
Mr. Tian Xuebin, Vice Minister of Water Resources of China and President Braga provided the opening remarks for the event on “Mastering Disaster in the Anthropocene: Reconciling DRR and Climate Frameworks.” The event sought to discuss how water can serve as an effective bridge to align policies and practice between the domains of disaster risk reduction and climate change. “I would like to encourage each and every one of you to…view [this event] as a place that can help provide life-changing opportunities, save the lives of millions and protect those of future generations”, stated President Braga. This discussion was followed up by another event later in the week co-convened by the World Water Council on “Resilient Policies: Achieving SDG and UNFCCC Goals through Water Management.”
The Forum event gave rise to a lively discussion and lots of interaction using the Mentimeter tool to offer audience reactions. For example, 93% of the participants indicated that the choice to focus on four thematic priorities (Water Security, Rural Development, Cooperation, and Means & Tools) was a positive evolution in the Forum processes. Indeed, much of the discussion revolved around how to apply learnings from the past Forums to create a successful Forum in Dakar.