A Beginner's Guide to the Sixth World Water Forum

Friend and colleague Ari Michelsen prepared this little presentation about the upcoming Sixth World Water Forum, to be held in Marseille, France, 12-17 March 2012.

Disclosure notice: AWRA is a member of the World Water Council, the organizing group.  Our Executive Vice President, Ken Reid, sits on the Board of Governors. Ken, Ari Michelsen, Jerry Sehlke, Carol Collier, Dick Engberg, and I are all involved in the 6WWF.

Download 6th World Water Forum AWRA PFA 2.1 Presentation - 2011-06-27 Michelsen v1

Hope to see you there!

“If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be 'meetings.' ” - Dave Barry

Comments

[Margaret Herzog]

Over 750 solutions have been submitted as contributions to this year's WWF6 theme: Time for Solutions. You can continue to submit your great ideas or proven applications at: http://www.solutionsforwater.org/. Some of the best, actionable solutions from the US and around the world will be featured in the Village of Solutions throughout the conference. There will be several different themed pavilions (Bank, School, Factory, Library, City Hall) with poster type panels of solutions in each to help illustrate them. Solution providers, a couple each hour, will be available to share their solution details with you. Hope to see you there!

[remake4water]

Meetings meetings and more meetings. Who needs them! Some are a waste of time and energy and but others aren't-- like the International Water Forum held at the UN in September, it was great.

A wonderful group of people gathered to come up with ways to raise awareness and educate the general public about the water crisis. It was hard for me to sit still and not jump up when I heard every single speaker mention "public awareness". That's a huge problem! How can Joe and Jane Public stop wasting water when they don't know there's a problem?

The people at all water "meetings" and I mean every single one of them on the planet already know...that's why they're there! We need to reach OUTSIDE of these meetings and programs and touch people in their lives in ways that are innovative and fun! Like Michael Campana said, "I'd like to see video games!" He's right, and by the way, "Games for Change" is coming up with new social games tied to charities. So my idea is right up that alley--go to a movie, raise awareness and funds. People pay attention to Hollywood whether they want to or not. So please visit: http://www.remake4water.org for more information. (And thank you to Micheal for this great site!)

[PAUL F MILLER]

I find it difficult the find the efforts of The World Water Council .... to be anything more than a “feel-good” veil to CYA of multinational for profit water purveyors in as much as the World Water Council ... is an international think tank founded in 1996, with its headquarters in Marseilles, France.

It has 323 members (March 2006) from the private sector (for example the French power company EDF and the manufacturing company Mitsubishi Heavy Industry), government ministries, academic institutions, international financial institutions (for example the World Bank), the UN and local government. Among the founders of the World Water Council were members of the management of international corporations, for example the multinational Suez.

Its stated mission is "to promote awareness, build political commitment and trigger action on critical water issues at all levels, including the highest decision-making level, to facilitate the efficient conservation, protection, development, planning, management, and use of water in all its dimensions on an environmentally sustainable basis for the benefit of all life on earth."

Every third year the World Water Council organizes the World Water Forum in close collaboration with the authorities of the hosting country. The Forum is the largest international event in the field of water. The 5th World Water Forum took place in Istanbulduring 16-22 March 2009.

The World Water Council is financed primarily through membership fees, and additional support is provided by the host City of Marseilles. Specific projects and programs are financed through donations and grants from governments, international organizations, and NGO's. Its President, Loïc Fauchon, is the President of the Société des Eaux de Marseille, a joint subsidiary of the two French water multinationals Veolia Environnement and Suez Environnement

... I have get to find where either Suez or Veolia do or provide any assistance unless they are handsomely paid and usually with the cooperation of the WORLD BANK and the IMF which strip and rape all disadvantaged countries and their people ..

[David Zetland]

I'll be there!!

(No big hopes, as I agree with Mr. X on the "value" of formal communiques at these meetings...)

[Mr X]

Alas, what is missing, is the most important part: how to become involved. Once again, and despite all complaints before and during the previous fora, it is a totally closed-up business. I went to a preparatory meeting in Paris, which was all about water and climate but at a depressing low level (just presentations by the French on what is climate change and how the models forecast rough hydrology (not explaining why)), NOT what we are going to do about it, NOT about what thematic sessions can be done, NOT about how they can be done and how people will be involved. I happened to learn about this meeting by coincidence, by knowing people who heard about it. It was never advertized, it was not open. 65% of the participants were French males, 25% white European males other than French, 5% US males, 5% women, no one from South America, no one from Africa, no one from Asia/Pacific. This was a global preparatory meeting!