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【JWF News Vol. 172】4th APWS: Host city decided! Kumamoto City, Japan
20 February, 2019
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◇ Contents ◇
・Foreword Host city for the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit (APWS) Decided: Kumamoto City
・Report from the Japan Water Forum
– APWF 23rd Governing Council Meeting
– SMILE by WATER Project 2018 Completed!
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・Foreword Host city for the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit (APWS) Decided: Kumamoto City
By Kotaro Takemura, Chair of the Japan Water Forum
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Japan Water Forum, as the Secretariat of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) organized the 23rd Governing Council meeting of the APWF in Singapore on January 11th. It was attended by Chair of the Governing Council Ravi Narayanan and Vice-Chairs Changhua Wu and Eduardo Araral, along with representatives of four Japanese organizations and 18 international organizations, including ADB, ESCAP, and UNESCO. One of the main agenda items for this meeting was to decide on the host city and schedule of the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit (4th APWS). The representatives of the City of Kumamoto, Japan, which was bidding to host the event, also participated in the meeting.
The Director General of the Environmental Bureau of the City of Kumamoto made a presentation at the meeting. After a question-and-answer session, it was unanimously decided that Kumamoto would be the host city for the 4th APWS, to be held on October 19th and 20th, 2020. What was highly valued about Kumamoto at the meeting was its excellent management of groundwater.
The Earth is often called a planet of water. 97% of its water is seawater. Excluding glaciers, the fresh water available for humans amounts to only 1% of the total. Moreover, 97% of this is groundwater. (Source: World Water Resources at the Beginning of 21st Century, UNESCO, 2003)
If we seek the sustainable use and conservation of water, there is no solution possible without taking groundwater into account. Groundwater is essential in creating a society based on sustainable water use. The City of Kumamoto is involved in the use and conservation of groundwater with the consensus of its residents.
Kumamoto is one of the largest cities in Japan, with a population of 740,000. All its residents use groundwater for drinking. The city government, along the local population and the private sector, put great effort into groundwater management. There is no other city like Kumamoto in the world.
It is expected that the 4th APWS will be a good opportunity for Asia-pacific countries to show outstanding case studies about creating sustainable societies. We, the staff of the JWF, will do our best during the limited preparation time available to make a success of the conference.
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・Report from the Japan Water Forum
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– APWF 23rd Governing Council Meeting
The Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF), for which Japan Water Forum acts as its Secretariat, organized the APWF 23rd Governing Council Meeting of APWF at the Singapore PUB WaterHub on 11th January 2019.
In the Meeting, discussions were made on (1) planning of the 4th APWS and the approval of the host country & city, (2) APWF Action Plans for 3 years: Thematic Action Plans, and (3) Asia Focus Sessions of the 2019 World Water Week in Stockholm (SWWW).
▼Please visit the following website for details▼
http://apwf.org/apwf-23rd-governing-council-meeting/
(Reported by Yumiko Asayama, Manager)
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– SMILE by WATER Project 2018 Completed!
SMILE by WATER Project 2018 which conducted by JCI Japan in collaborating with JWF has completed.
In the project of 2018, we conducted a project aiming at securing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities for villages and schools in the rural areas of India.
▼Please visit the following website for details▼
https://www.waterforum.jp/all/grass_roots_projects/smile_by_water/2019/0115/?p=10685
(Reported by Sae Ishihara and Akie Gunji, Manager)
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▼JWF News Archives▼
https://www.waterforum.jp/all/newsletter?tag=en,rep_en
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JWF News Vol. 172 / 20 February 2019
Japan Water Forum
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