"We hope that the centre of excellence will become a reality not long after the holding of the World Water Forum (WWF). Hopefully, the centre will exist within a year after the WWF,"
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia plans on proposing a "centre of excellence" (COE) as a solution to tackle water issues triggered by climate change during the 10th World Water Forum, the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry stated.

"The centre of excellence is an answer to the climate changes we are currently facing globally," PUPR Ministry's spokesperson, Endra S. Atmawijdaja, remarked when contacted by ANTARA in Jakarta on Tuesday.

In order to support development of the COE, he highlighted that Indonesia will focus on solidifying South-South cooperation.

He noted that the COE would aim to facilitate countries in the Global South to exchange notes and insights to identify the best solutions to a range of water-related issues, such as floods and disruptions to rivers caused by volcanic eruptions.

Atmawidjaja then cited the Sabo Training Center in Slemad District, Yogyakarta Special Region Province, as a location likely to become a part of the COE.

By further developing the Sabo Training Center, he stated that Yogyakarta can emerge as a center for southern countries to learn measures for managing water resources and building resilience against climate change.

"We hope that the centre of excellence will become a reality not long after the holding of the World Water Forum (WWF). Hopefully, the centre will exist within a year after the WWF," he stated.

The 2024 WWF, scheduled for May 18-25 in Bali, will focus on four topics of discussion, namely water conservation, clean water and sanitation, food and energy resilience, and mitigation of natural disasters.

The Indonesian Government has invited 43 ambassadors and four international organizations to the 10th edition of the triennial forum that is expected to draw the participation of around 50 thousand delegates from various countries.

During the forum that will adopt "Water for Shared Prosperity" as its theme, delegates will have the opportunity to participate in 244 sessions that are expected to result in concrete support for the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on Water and Climate Resilience.

Furthermore, the sessions are expected to conclude with the mainstreaming of the implementation of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach on small islands and the designation of World Lake Day.

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Translator: Putu I, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Arie Novarina
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