Hydropolitics Association is contributing to the WWF consultative process on Implement transboundary cooperation to foster peace and prevent conflicts” .

The next edition of the World Water Forum will break with the “business as usual” approach of the past. The aim is to focus on action for water.  In this perspective,  the traditional thematic-regional- political, and citizens process has been revised. In addition to this, the Framework for Action that drives the content development of the  9th World Water Forum is based on the intention to create as much coherence as possible with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) so that the action that is catalyzed through the process of the Forum can also contribute directly to the achievement of the Agenda 2030. Accordingly, 9th World Water Forum Framework for Actions which are related with SDG targets are listed as following:

1. Water Security and Sanitation

 A. Implement the Right to Water and Sanitation and provide access to safe water and sanitation in emergency situations

B. Improve water quality and waste management

C. Reduce water-related illness and deaths

D. Protect and restore ecosystems and forests, including coastal and marine impacts, and combat desertification

E. Halt the loss of aquatic biodiversity and invasive species in water ecosystems

F. Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change and natural disasters

2. Rural Development

A. Ensure universal access to water (in rural areas)

B. Ensure universal access to sanitation and hygiene (in rural areas)

C. Provide public water, sanitation and hygiene facilities (schools, healthcare facilities, etc.)

D. Ensure sustainable agricultural practices, including water productivity and efficiency, reduction of  

    diffuse pollution, and decreased food losses

E. Engage and empower rural communities to be the drivers of social-economic development

     through water

F. Harmonize the rural-urban divide to curb migration

3. Cooperation

A. Implement IWRM at all levels

B. Implement transboundary cooperation to foster peace and prevent conflicts

C. Expand international cooperation, including ODA, and capacity building to foster peace

D. Enhance cooperation on multipurpose infrastructure, including hydropower

E. Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation on data and information sharing,

    and capacity building

F. Enhance multi-stakeholder dialogue and partnerships, including with outside sectors

4. Means & Tools (Transversal theme that relates to all other priorities)

A. Mobilize additional financial resources and promote innovative funding

B. Implement the principles of good water governance, including participatory decision-making

C. Foster a water-sensitive approach to legislation and regulation

D. Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels and promote

The next Forum focuses on these four core Priorities. Each Priority is composed of 5 to 6 Actions which represent the objectives that the Forum will strive to accomplish. These actions will deliver concrete responses to a broad set of water-related Sustainable Development Goals targets.

The structure of the thematic process of the Forum is visualised as following:

Action Groups (AGs) have been constituted around each of these actions to define and implement activities that contribute to the achievement of the objectives above-mentioned.

Following the feedback received by Pilot Groups, Action Groups were requested to integrate them into their Action Plans and adapt them to a standardized action proposal template. The template was developed to allow an easier assessment and analysis of the information across the entire Forum framework and it is necessary to start the consultation process.

During the consultation process, related Action group will present their Category of Actions and the related projects. The members of the Consultative Group (CG)  will be able to contribute by:

• Providing feedback on the Category of Actions and the projects based on your experience;
• Asking to contribute to a project and its implementation;
• Suggesting other projects to integrate an Action through the specific template
• Influencing political action

The consultation process The Consultation Process will span from 15 January 2021 until 15 March 2021.

During the Consultation Process, the Hydropolitics Association (www.hpacenter.org) will be represented by Hamza Özgüler (hamza.ozguler@gmail.com) who has been already registered and approved as the member of the Consultative Group coded and entitled as " 3B. Implement transboundary cooperation to foster peace and prevent conflicts” .