Japan Water Forum and Korea Water Forum jointly hosted the “Youth Water Forum Asia 2024”, an international exchange event focused on water, on Friday, November 15, 2024, as part of the Korea International Water Week (KIWW) held in Daegu, Republic of Korea.

This event is part of the “Youth Water Forum” program, which began after the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit held in Kumamoto City in April 2022. Building on the “Youth Water Forum Asia” held in Kumamoto in November 2023, this event continued the efforts to foster youth engagement and international exchange on water issues.

We are pleased to share that a total of 12 high school students — four each from Japan, Korea, and Indonesia — participated in the event. They presented and shared the challenges their regions face regarding water issues and the innovative solutions they are working on. Students from two schools represented Japan at the event, having been selected through the “Youth Water Forum 2023 Video Submission” program: Kyoto Prefectural Miyazutenkyo High School and Kumamoto Prefectural Kumamoto Commercial High School. These students attended the event in person, presenting their initiatives in English to an international audience.

The “Youth Water Forum Asia 2024” included a closed session in the morning and an open session in the afternoon. During the closed session, participants toured the exhibition area to learn about advanced water technologies, introduced themselves, and joined group discussions. Topics included “What sparked your interest in water?” and “How can we engage more young people in addressing water-related challenges?” Participants freely exchanged ideas and shared their perspectives. In the open session, high school students from each country presented their initiatives for solving water-related problems, offering concrete examples and innovative ideas.

Students from Kumamoto Prefectural Kumamoto Commercial High School shared their activities addressing groundwater depletion in Kumamoto Prefecture. Meanwhile, students from Kyoto Prefectural Miyazutenkyo High School presented their community-based environmental improvement efforts aimed at preserving biodiversity in the Ote River following environmental changes caused by typhoons. After these presentations, students and moderators engaged in Q&A sessions, fostering deeper understanding and valuable learning opportunities for all participants.

Feedback from participating students included:

• “I was impressed by how each country has its unique approach to utilizing water.”
• “I was surprised by how awareness of water issues varies across countries.”

The event fostered diverse perspectives and facilitated the creation of new exchange networks that transcend regions and cultures. The Japan Water Forum plans to continue hosting such events moving forward to expand opportunities for youth engagement.

Overview

• Event Name: Youth Water Forum Asia (YWFA) 2024
• Date: Friday, November 15, 2024
• Venue: Daegu EXCO, Daegu, Republic of Korea
• Organizers: Japan Water Forum, Korea Water Forum
• Theme: Youth-driven actions for promoting water sustainability in Asia
• Participating Schools and Organizations:
  • Japan: Kyoto Prefectural Miyazutenkyo High School, Kumamoto Prefectural Kumamoto Commercial High School
  • Korea: Daeguil Science High School, North London Collegiate School Jeju
  • Indonesia: Komib Indonesia

Closed Session

• Date and Time: Friday, November 15, 2024, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Venue: Daegu EXCO, Daegu, Republic of Korea

During the closed session, students toured the exhibition area to learn about the latest water technologies and participated in group discussions to exchange ideas and insights.

Program of the Closed Session:

• Exhibition Tour
• Icebreaking Activities
• Group Discussions on topics such as:
  • “What sparked your interest in water?”
  • “How can we engage more young people in addressing water-related challenges?”
• Group Photo

Open Session

• Date and Time: Friday, November 15, 2024, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
• Venue: Daegu EXCO, Room 306A, Daegu, Republic of Korea

The open session featured presentations by students from Japan, Korea, and Indonesia, who shared innovative solutions to water-related challenges and promoted cooperation among the younger generation to exchange views on global and local(glocal) water issues. A Q&A session followed, fostering deeper discussions and knowledge sharing.

Click here for detailed programs and presentation materials, please visit the Korea Water Forum website.

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Related Links

Youth Water Forum Asia 2024 will be held on November 15th
https://www.waterforum.jp/en/news/22395/

(Reported by Koutoku Takeishi, Assistant Manager)