Title	Youth Session: Promoting Intergenerational Initiatives for Achieving Sound Water Cycle
Date & Time	23rd May 2024 8:30-10:00 (90mins)
Venue	Kintamani 2, MEZZANINE, BNDCC 1

Japan Water Forum (JWF) organized a session titled “Youth Session: Promoting Intergenerational Initiatives for Achieving Sound Water Cycle” at the 10th World Water Forum on May 23, 2024, in collaboration with the Korea Water Forum and UNESCO Beijing.

This session aimed to address the significant challenges faced by the Asia-Pacific region, including climate change and the need to maintain a healthy water cycle. It highlighted the increasingly important role of young people in driving innovation and creating sustainable solutions for water management.

Speakers from Japan and abroad, a total of 14, presented community-based activities and research led by youth. They discussed opportunities for intergenerational cooperation to support youth activities and explored joint programs by various youth groups.

During the session, four high school students presented their water-related activities in English, showcasing their video submissions to the Youth Water Forum.

Additionally, at the Youth Session held during the UN Water Conference 2023 in March, the necessity of “Meaningful Youth Engagement (MYE)” was recognized. This session built on the discussions from the Parallel Thematic Session of Youth at the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit held in Kumamoto in April 2022, which helped establish various youth networks. Riding this momentum, the “Youth Water Forum Asia” was held in Kumamoto in November 2023, co-hosted by the Japan Water Forum, Korea Water Forum, and Kumamoto City. High school students from Indonesia, Japan, and Korea presented the current water issues and their initiatives during this forum. They also engaged in dialogues with experts about how they could cooperate to solve global water problems.

(Reported by Koutoku Takeishi, Assistant Manager)