Indonesia Ready to Lead Water Governance Transformation at the 10th World Water Forum

The reason for this is that the upcoming meeting in Bali is set to be attended by multiple heads of state, with several former world leaders who have expressed their intention to be present. These former world leaders consider it necessary to attend. These include the former Presidents of Chile, Hungary, Slovenia, Malawi, Sri Lanka, and Costa Rica. Additionally, the former Prime Ministers of Belgium, Korea, and Bhutan will also be present.

“They are not ordinary people. This shows the significance of the event. As of this moment, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have been making efforts to ensure that we have as many world leaders in attendance as possible,” said Endra on Friday (19 April) in Jakarta.

Indonesia has achieved great success in promoting water governance by incorporating local cultural approaches. This achievement can attract world leaders to attend the forum, which will be held from 18 to 25 May. The forum, which involves all stakeholders in water governance, benefits from numerous best practices implemented by Indonesia. Indonesia’s achievements serve as a valuable lesson for the global community.

“One example is the Subak system in Bali, which has been recognized by UNESCO for its irrigation governance through local wisdom, or Lake Bratan, also in Bali. We often see the Grand Forest Park (Tahura), which shows the importance of mangroves in supporting water management. These are all good examples that world leaders and delegates can directly observe,” said Endra.

Endra also considered domestic and international media important components. They contribute to the forum's success and also serve as a bridge to disseminate the importance of water management for the sustainability of life in the future.

“We hope that the media can also help highlight various interesting aspects, not just from the forum side but also from other good examples. Later, we will also specifically invite journalists to directly observe real-life examples of water management implemented by Indonesia. In essence, we want the media to actively convey the many good examples of water governance that have been implemented. From Indonesia to the world,” he added.

The 10th World Water Forum in Bali will carry the main theme “Water for Shared Prosperity.” The gathering of world leaders will address and discuss water issues while seeking collective solutions to water governance challenges. This forum will produce a Ministerial Declaration as its main output, along with concrete deliverables (projects, initiatives, joint actions). The forum consists of three main processes: political process, regional process, and thematic process.

Indonesia will bring forth four proposals to the Ministerial Declaration (MD), including the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on Water and Climate Resilience (COE), mainstreaming Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) on Small Islands, and the designation of World Lake Day (WLD). Additionally, the MD will include a Compendium of Concrete Deliverables and Actions as an initiative for the concrete follow-up of the 10th World Water Forum.

The opening ceremony of the 10th World Water Forum in Bali will take place at Melasti Beach in an event entitled the “Balinese Water Purification Ceremony.” This event will be attended by 1,500 people with the concept of Rahina Tumpek Uye (Balinese Hindu ceremony to express gratitude to animals and their role in human life) and Segara Kerthi (Balinese Hindu ceremony to seek blessings from the sea gods) ceremonies.

The Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park will host the Welcoming Gala Dinner on Sunday, 19 May. The event will be attended by 2,500 people and will consist of 500 VVIP and VIP invitations. 2,000 people have been invited to attend the second location at GWK Lotus Pond.

The Opening Ceremony and High-Level Meeting will commence on 20 May at the Bali International Convention Center (BICC), Nusa Dua. They will be followed immediately by interface meetings with responsible parties for political, thematic, and regional processes, as well as bilateral meetings with several heads of state. 5,500 participants will attend the opening ceremony.

The Fair and Expo opening will be held at Nusa Dua Hall BNDCC on the same day. The Fair and Expo venues will be spread across BNDCC, BICC, and Kuta Beach.

The sessions for political, thematic, and regional processes will be held from 20 – 25 May. Meanwhile, the High-Level Meeting and Ministerial Meeting will take place from 20 May to 21 May.

The Cultural Night (Farewell) will be held at Taman Bhagawan on Friday, 24 May. This event will be attended by 3,000 participants who will be welcomed and presented with Indonesian traditional food, regional dances, and culture.