World Water Forum Launches Global Quest for Solutions to the World’s Water Issues: kicks off preparation for the 6th Forum in 2012

• In developing countries, 80% of health problems are linked to inadequate water and sanitation. • In Africa alone, up to 5% of GDP is lost annually to water-borne diseases and poor sanitation. • One dollar invested in sanitation can save between US$3 to US$34 in medical costs and lost productivity. • Agriculture represents 70% of total water use, but 50% of food is wasted between farm and fork. Investing in food-chain efficiency is crucial. • 3 billion people depend on the of 263 river basins and hundreds of underground water reservoirs shared by several countries.

Paris/Marseille, 2 June 2010. Over 400 ‘water leaders’ from around the world will gather in from 3-4 June to launch the preparation for the 6th (Marseille, 2012). With over 2.5 billion people suffering water-related stress every day, solutions must come faster and at a larger scale then ever before. For that reason, the organizers of the World Water Forum are launching a world wide quest to find practical solutions to today’s water challenges.

In Paris tonight, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France will celebrate the Kick-off by offering the decisive support of his country as the host of the 2012 event. The World Water Forum is organized every three years by the , together with a host country and host city, counting regularly over 20,000 participants.

Four hundred Kick-off participants, representing several dozen countries and organizations, will take part in workshops during two days in Marseille, to work on the global water priorities and to debate what targets can be set and achieved. The Kick-off will outline actions that participants can undertake leading up to solutions ahead of the Forum in 2012. Among the big issues to be tackled are:

− Safe water and sanitation for the billions of people without access − Water security across borders: addressing conflict and cooperation − Water, health, food and energy: anticipating the perfect storm

Rapid global changes including urbanization, climate change and the economic crisis add to the urgency to set targets and find solutions by the Kick-off participants. The meeting in Marseille will take stock of the outcomes of the 5th World Water Forum (, 16-22 March 2009) which widened the scope of international action from mainly technical to include political aspects of water issues. In Istanbul, recommendations and commitments touched upon concrete issues - such as addressing the interrelation of water, food and energy - and also addressing political tasks such as the cooperation among Local Authorities to develop water action plans, or for Parliamentarians to get support drafting their water legislation. Istanbul also emphasized the importance of public-private partnership for the realization of water projects, including the education of water users.

“The key to the success of this Kick-off meeting is active participation, willingness to share tried-and- tested practical solutions and to generate momentum towards 2012,” said Ben Braga, Vice President of the World Water Council and President of the International Forum Committee. “Ever since the first Forum in Morocco in 1997, we have been building up on its success. The World Water Forum is intended to bring politicians and decision-makers closer to the water professionals and water users,

and to raise awareness on the importance of water for the future of mankind. We can say this last decade we have been rather successful, but we must stay tuned with the times and new technologies to implement solutions on the ground.”

Martine Vassal, Deputy Mayor of the City of Marseille, adds that “politicians have come to understand the multi-faceted nature of water problems. We have to involve industry, our citizens and educators in order to be effective. Consultation is very important if we are to understand and embrace the wide perspectives that can solve our water problems. This is why we want to start early to prepare for the Forum we will be hosting in 2012”.

The Kick-off meetings will provide a roadmap to follow for the next two years and will open new avenues for public participation in the quest for solutions to water issues.

For more information: www.watermediacenter.org www.worldwaterforum.org For further commentary and to book interviews, please contact: Daniella Boström-Couffe, Media Officer, World Water Council, at +33 (0)6 24 85 25 01 or [email protected] Valerie Langlais, Media Officer, City of Marseille, at +33 6 32 28 93 71 or vlanglais@mairie- marseille.fr

Attachments:

1. How it’s done: summary of case studies on water solutions from around the world 2. Fact Sheets and Case Studies on : • Right to Water and Sanitation, Case Study : South Africa • Transboundary Water Security, Case Study : EU Water Framework Directive • Water for Health, Case Study : Bangladesh targets sanitation • Food and Energy, Case Study : • , Case Study : From Longchamp to Géolide 3. The state of the world’s water – statistics 4. Marseille - co-organizer of the 6th World Water Forum 5. France – co-organizer of the 6th World Water Forum 6. World Water Council - co-organizer of the 6th World Water Forum 7. Biographies of speakers

Information to Editors:

The World Water Forum is an international event, organised every three years by the World Water Council in collaboration with the authorities of the host country ( for the 5th edition, France for the 6th). It is the largest water-related event in the world, aimed at putting water firmly on the international agenda. A three-year preparatory process culminates in one week of sessions, debates and cultural activities, where water users, experts, politicians and practitioners come together.

The World Water Council selected Marseille, France as the city and country to host the 2012 World Water Forum in June 2009. The selection followed a rigorous process for evaluating the candidates and a final vote from the Council’s Board of Governors. The French candidacy showcased a will to engage people regionally in the global debate around water and underscore that debate is not enough. Through its candidacy, France committed to making the World Water Forum in 2012 “The Forum of Solutions”, drawing from the concrete successes that France has had in the environmental domain. The World Water Council is an international organisation embedded as a French association in Marseille, France. Its mission is to raise awareness on critical water issues, to generate decisions and actions and to create political commitment for a world in which water is available for the population in sufficient quantity and quality to allow sustainable human development. It thus aims to foster the sustainable management and use of water resources. It gathers over 400 member organisations throughout the world (Intergovernmental organisations; Government and governmental authorities; Enterprises and facilities; Civil society organisations and water user associations; Professional associations and academic institutions). The World Water Council is the creator and owner of the World Water Forum, which serves to bring together a great diversity of stakeholders and others striving for the same goals.