Ministerial Declaration of the 7th World Water Forum

(1st draft)
We, the Ministers and Heads of Delegations assembled in Gyeongju, RepublicofKorea, on 13 April2015
,
on the occasion of the Ministerial Conference of the 7th World Water Forum Water for Our Future",
Recalling the United Nations General Assembly resolution64/292(2010) acknowledging the right to access
to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as human right,
Reaffirming the commitments made in the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development "Rio+20", "The Future We Want",
Welcoming the water-related Sustainable Development Goal proposed by the Open Working Group of the
United Nations General Assembly
Recognizing the significant contributions that previous World Water Fora have made in overcoming water
related challenges, Ministerial Declaration of the 6th Forum "Time for Solutions" held in Marseille, France
in 2012, and the Statement of the Budapest Water Summit, held in 2013,
We declare our political will to translate our commitments made in this Declaration and its Annex
into national policies, plans and actions.
We are in particular determined to intensify our joint efforts in order to advance water related cooperation at
a global scale as follows :
1.
We reaffirm that water is at the core of sustainable development. A dedicated water related goal
and ambitious targets should be included in the post-2015 Development Agenda. We support that the
"Implementation Roadmap" and the "Action Monitoring system" adopted in the 7th World Water
Forum serve as a basis for establishing monitoring and implementation mechanism of water related
goal in the post-2015 Development Goals.
2.
We stress that water is a major issue in mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. We are
committed to reaching an ambitious agreement at CoP 2l(The 21st session of the Conference of the
Parties) to the UNFCCC(United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in Paris in
December 2015, in full recognition of the importance of water related issues in mitigating and
adapting to climate change.
3.
We recognize that water is an international security issue and closer transboundary water
cooperation can contribute to peace and stability of the nations. We are determined to further build
upon the commitments and recommendations regarding transboundary water cooperation stated in the
Annex of this Declaration.
4.
We acknowledge the pressing need to enhance resilience and preparedness towards water
related disasters in the international context. Constructing systematic and effective response
mechanisms and integrated water resources management (IWRM) is crucial to cope with the
increased risks and uncertainties of water related disasters. We further underline the critical role of
scientific and technological development in achieving successful water related disaster risk
management. The convergence of information and communications technologies (ICT) on water sector
will be an important element for linking science and technology to policy.
1

5.
We underscore the importance of international cooperation between developed and developing
countries, among international
aid agencies, financial institutions and climate change
related international

'.

organizations such as Global Green Growth Institute(GGGI) , Global Climate Fund(GCF) , and between
public and private sectors, in tackling water related global challenges. We encourage nations to promote
sharing of scientific knowledge and innovative technologies , facilitate financing and develop and diffuse
concrete business models with a view to promoting cooperation among water related stakeholders .
We thank the Government of the Republic of Korea, the City of Daegu , the Province of Gyeongbuk and the
World Water Council for their support in the organization of the Ministerial Conference and the World Water
Forum and recommend to the Government of the Republic of Korea to submit this Ministerial Declaration
to the United Nations members states and the appropriate bodies of the United Nations for their
consideration and action.
/End/

Annex of
Ministerial Declaration of the 7th World Water Forum
(1st Draft)
Water Security for All

Enough Safe Water and Integrated Sanitation for All

1.
Water is the most vital resource on Earth for its indispensable role in sustaining the life and health
of people and ecosystems, as well as for its economic and social value towards sustainable development of
countries. Providing access to safe water and sanitation for all to ensure water security has become a critical
challenge of increasing concern in the 21st century due to threats from water pollution, unsustainable use and
overexploitation of water resources, climate change impacts and the rapid growth in demand for water.
Efforts have been made at the global, regional , national and local levels to provide access to safe drinking
water and improve water supplies for human needs and economic activities. Yet, the challenge remains to find
sustainable solutions to improve supplies of good quality water in adequate quantities for all uses and users
for present and future generations .

2.

We reaffirm that the right to safe and clean water and sanitation is a fundamental human right,
which entitles everyone, without discrimination, to have access to sufficient, safe, acceptable, and
affordable water for personal and domestic use and to have physical and affordable access to
sanitation in all spheres of life, that is safe, hygienic, secure, socially and culturally acceptable and
that provides privacy and ensures dignity. We acknowledge the urgent need to provide efficient
and appropriate technology, policy and institutional means at all levels to ensure access to safe and
affordable water and sanitation for all, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and
those in vulnerable situations.

3.

We will work to improve water quality by significantly reducing pollution of water resources from all
sources, improving wastewater collection and treatment, reducing the release of hazardous pollutants
into water, and protecting water source areas.

4.

We will work to take measures to increase water-use efficiency and augment water supplies through
demand management, non-conventional and alternative water resources to ensure sustainable
withdrawals and supply of freshwater and to address water scarcity.

5.

Participatory and inclusive approaches with access to information and accountability are essential in
improving access to water and sanitation. We resolve to explore appropriate technology and measures
of assessment as well as a national decision-making process that ensures adequate participation of all
relevant stakeholders, including local communities in order to secure supply of safe and affordable
water.

6.

We acknowledge the essential role that integrated sanitation and wastewater management play in
improving public health and hygiene. In this respect , we are committed to intensify our efforts on
achieving affordable, physically accessible, adequate and sustainable sanitation for all without
discrimination of any kind.
Adapting to Change: Managing Risk and Uncertainty for Resilience and Disaster Preparedness

7.

We acknowledge that science and technology provide tools for policy makers and practitioners to act
for successful disaster risk management and climate change adaptation and mitigation at all levels. It

is important to enhance the scientific and technological research in managing risk and uncertainty for
resilience and disaster preparedness through the mobilization of existing networks of scientific and
research

institutions at national, regional and international levels as well as to promote capacity development and data
collection, processing and dissemination.
8.

We recognize that constructing systematic and effective response mechanisms, is crucial to cope with
the increased risks and uncertainties of water-related disasters arising from major global changes such
as climate change.

9.

We underline the need to empower national platforms as a key step towards practical evidence
based disaster risk management, for sustainable development and climate adaptation and mitigation,
which guarantees participation and coordinates all stakeholders' interests to promote preparedness,
responsiveness, adaptive capacity, and resilience regarding water related disasters. It is important to
establish and further strengthen all-stakeholder coordination mechanisms at national and local levels,
such as national and local platforms for managing risk and uncertainty for resilience and disaster
preparedness. It is necessary for such mechanisms to have a strong foundation in national
institutional frameworks with clearly assigned responsibilities and authority to, inter alia, identify
sectoral and multi-sectoral risk, build awareness and knowledge of risk through sharing and
dissemination of risk information and data, contribute to and coordinate reports on local and
national disaster risk, coordinate public awareness campaigns on disaster risk, facilitate and support
local multi-sectoral cooperation, contribute to the determination of and reporting on national and
local disaster risk management plans. These responsibilities and authority should be established
through laws, regulations, standards, and procedures, as appropriate. We further commit to
construct a systematic response system which effectively prepares for the risk factors from the longterm perspective .

10.

Policies and practices for disaster risk management should be based on understanding of risk for
efficient investments and effective disaster risk reduction. This requires systematic survey, record, and
to publicly account for all disaster losses and the economic, social and health impacts. This also requires
enhancing capacity of numerical pre-assessments of damage by various hazards based on
interdisciplinary knowledge to formulate preventive policies and strategies at national and local levels.
We support a comprehensive and systematic methodology for data collection and socioeconomic
analysis as a prerequisite for orchestrated operation of national platforms for evidence-based policy
making.

Infrastructure for Sustainable Water Resource Management and Services

11.

We will work to develop, implement and maintain sustainable and climate resilient water
infrastructures which are technologically feasible, environmentally appropriate, socially acceptable as
well as cost effective. In this respect, we further support the infrastructure development that is
conducive to optimizing stakeholders' benefits.

12.

We are determined to develop infrastructures with a special concern for economically water insecure
regions, and for the substantial reduction of the number of people suffering from water scarcity.

13.

We underscore the need to promote an effective utilization and management of water infrastructure
considering the expected impacts of the global changes and foreseeable changes in stakeholders'
demand. There is also a need for climate change-proof infrastructure in new investments.

14.

We will work to implement sustainable planning, building and operating of water and energy
infrastructure and systems while preserving and improving water resources and the life supporting
functioning of ecosystems.

15.

We recognize that a significant increase in storage capacity of reservoirs is essential in many regions
of the world to cope with the impacts of global changes, such as more frequent occurrence of

hydrological extremes as floods and droughts. We also recognize that water infrastructure must include
sustainability perspectives, including capacity development, training, economic, environmental and social
sustainability .
Water for Development and Prosperity

Water-Food-Energy Nexus
16.

We acknowledge that an integrated approach towards water , food, and energy considering their
interdependence is crucial to effectively cope with the increased food and energy consumption .
In this respect, we are determined to implement adaptation measures to mitigate the effects of
global changes, including climate change based on interdisciplinary research, institutional
improvement, and technological support. We resolve to align and harmonize policy measures both
inside and outside the water domain, especially as related to water use for food and energy
production and poverty eradication.

17.

We endeavor to implement approaches to minimize possible adverse impacts of water use for food
production on ecosystems including soil degradation and groundwater depletion, through measures
such as improving the efficiency of agricultural irrigation system, efficient use of fertilizers and
pesticides, and development and sharing of relevant technology, knowledge and information. To this
end, we support investment in water supply, wastewater treatment , drainage infrastructure and
management.

18.

We acknowledge the need for structural and nonstructural measures and systems that effectively manage
the rise in demand for water for food production. We are committed to support appropriate investments
for the modernization of irrigation schemes to increase food security, rural prosperity and poverty
eradication. We also support investing in knowledge and capacity development to base water strategies
on a clear understanding of causes and effects as well as on costs and benefits. We are equally
committed to build strong institutions and capacities for improved water governance to guarantee
equitable distribution of the costs and benefits among water users.

19.

We acknowledge the need and commit ourselves to improve the efficiency of water-energy systems
across sectors such as water supply, wastewater, irrigation, and energy provision.

Water and Cities

20.

We recognize that most of the world's current urbanization is happening in an un- or poorly-planned
manner, leading to slum growth on one hand and low density sprawl on the other, both of which
aggravate water and sanitation inequities, increase service provision costs and impact negatively water
resources. Water and sanitation services including water management , drinking water provision,
drainage, wastewater treatment rely on good basic urban planning. Resource scarcity, rising costs and
the challenge of climate change require a change towards closed-loop systems that capture and exploit
waste products for needed services. Cities present enormous opportunities for resource capture, reuse
and recycling that carry environmental benefits and can help make basic urban services more
financially viable. Creating urban water resiliency should involve building the institutions and
infrastructure that can handle the difficult-to predict events associated with climate change and
urbanization, while contributing to the underlying societal resilience that allows communities to
withstand and recover from extreme events.

21.

We recognize that urban water management needs to be a component of integrated urban planning in
order to best plan for resource recovery , water resiliency and improved livability. As such, we will

foster improvements in water governance and capacity availability in an integrated manner at city
level. We commit ourselves to develop policies to consider the whole water cycle in an
Integrated Urban Water

Management (IUWM) approach. We recognize strong proactive urban planning as an essential support to
equitable and efficient water service provision. We support strong city level leadership for spatial planning,
and enabling multi-stakeholder platforms with particular regard to the poor and disadvantaged.
22.

We endeavor to promote governance for efficient water management in urban areas. We will endeavor
to promote building water-friendly environments through solutions such as green storm water
infrastructure and sustainable urban drainage for preventing and mitigating the impacts of water related
disasters in urban areas.

23.

We underscore the need to plan for resource recovery in cities by maximizing water, energy and
materials recovery and reuse, enabling the identification and realization of cross-sectoral synergies for
recovery and reuse and promoting the economic opportunities for resources recovered .

24.

We recognize that an integrated plan for water resilience is expected to result in improved livability in
cities. We are committed to implement policies and practices to prepare expected urban growth,
climate change and population driven secondary changes, such as migration and land use changes
through embracing uncertainty and building resilient institutions and infrastructure.

25.

We welcome the evolution and implementation of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Consensus on Sustainable

Cities and its network of Local and Regional Authorities.

Water for Sustainability: Harmonizing Humans and Nature

Green Growth, Water Stewardship and Industry

26.

We acknowledge the need to reconcile the conflicts and increase synergies between environmental
protection and economic growth. We also recognize the need to ensure sustainable production and
consumption patterns and the need for efforts of all countries .

27.

We acknowledge that growing concerns on limited resources and climate change uncertainties are
global challenges to be addressed at national and international level. We endeavor to utilize a policy
framework to shift from resource intensive economic growth patterns towards a new sustainable
paradigm by adopting and diffusing green growth and green economy.

28.

We recognize that the establishment of global partnerships to promote green growth will enable
developing countries to strengthen their capacity by sharing lessons learned and diffusing innovative
green technology.

Managing and Restoring Ecosystems for Water Services and Biodiversity

29.

We will work to enhance water management in conformity with the principles of conservation and
restoration of biodiversity. To this end, we endeavor to incorporate policy feedback related to
ecosystems into future policy making.

30.

We note the critical importance of collecting and sharing data in order to take appropriate action to
increase water security and support the development and deployment of the required systems.

31.

The conservation and restoration of aquatic ecosystems provide a clear way to increase the availability
of these valuable services for people and nature . Healthy wetlands, which provide considerable

ecosystem services including provision of freshwater and storm mitigation, are cradles of biodiversity.
32.

We recognize the impact of invasive alien species on water ecosystems and related economies. Efforts
should be reinforced for introducing measures to identify pathways to prevent the introduction of
invasive alien species and to protect priority species.

Ensuring Water Quality from Ridge to Reef

33.

We emphasize the need to promote safe treatment of domestic, agricultural and industrial wastewater
in a sustainable manner as well to enhance management of hazardous chemicals and materials in order
to ensure water quality from ridge to reef. We further commit to promote water use efficiency by
reducing water loss in distributing system, encouraging the safe reuse of wastewater, improving
monitoring and reporting of water quality, strengthening governance in sustainable management and
enhancing management of various pollutants including emerging pollutants .

34.

We recognize the urgent need to identify the status of the world's water quantity and quality. A
global and local understanding of water quality among different stakeholders involved in its
management across sectors and geographical regions , including coastal waters must be established in
order to address and resolve global water quality and quantity related challenges. We commit to promote
good governance , research and monitoring programs to compile, exchange and share technical data
and information among the stakeholders.

Smart Implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management(IWRM)

35.

We are committed to develop water management policies on the basis of integrated water resources
management(IWRM) , planning principles and adequate regulatory, institutional , and infrastructure
frameworks.

36.

We recognize that, in the face of water scarcity and increasing problems with water quality, the future
management of water must implement smarter solutions. Smarter water use involves the application
of different water qualities for different uses, including the consideration of wastewater reuse. This
approach should lead to greater efficiency in the management and utilization of water resources across
competing uses including domestic, industry , energy, agriculture, food production and ecosystems.

37.

We emphasize the need to introduce smart water policies and technologies for the conservation of
water and establishment of integrated water resources management(IWRM) system. To this end, we
call for increased attention from all stakeholders and commit ourselves to foster capacity building and
participation of stakeholders at all levels. We will work to provide at the national level basic
operation guidelines for integrated water resources management, taking into account means of
implementation specific to countries and regions .

Constructing Feasible Implementation Mechanisms

Economics and Financing for Innovative Investments
38.

We will work to ensure that water resources and ecosystems services are funded in a sustainable
way at local, regional and national level from domestic and international public and private sources to
minimize risks of shortage, excess, inadequate quality, or undermining of the resilience of ecosystems
.

39.

We stress the need to introduce creative financing mechanisms and enhance Public and Private

Partnerships(PPP) in order to design and promote innovative investments on water.

40.

We endeavor to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and technology related to investments on

water from developed to developing countries, as well as to enhance North-South, South-South,
triangular, regional and international cooperation on access to science, technology, innovation, and
knowledge sharing.

Effective Governance : Enhanced Political Decisions, Stakeholder Participation and Technical Information
41.

We recognize that water governance is critical to enhance effective, efficient and socially acceptable
design and implementation of water policies and projects, to strengthen institutions' resilience and to
articulate stakeholders' interest.

42.

We welcome the ongoing process in the World Water Fora regarding establishment of the Water
Legislation Helpdesk aimed to serve as a support tool for network of parliamentarians.

43.

We recognize the instrumental role governments play to strengthen water governance at all levels,
taking into account that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the water challenge worldwide, but a
range of home-grown and context-dependent solutions. In this regard, we take note of the ongoing
process under the auspices of OECD for establishing the Principles on Water Governance and make
joint efforts to :
1.

Establish legal and institutional frameworks that clearly allocate roles and responsibilities for
policy making, service provision and regulation, and set proper incentives for multi-level
coordination across responsible authorities and levels of government;
11.
Manage water resources and services at the relevant scale, with the objective to reconcile
hydrological and administrative boundaries with full respect for national sovereignty and
within coherent and integrated basin governance system that fits water policies to places and
reflects local specificities and needs and ensure sound water cycle from the mountain to the
sea;
111. Encourage cross-sector coordination and a "nexus" approach between water and related
policy fields for greater policy coherence and complementarities at different scales;
1v.
Strengthen hard and soft capacity across public administration, levels of government, service
providers, watershed institutions and the broader range of stakeholders for effective water
policy design and implementation;
v.
Produce, update and disclose high quality, consistent, and comparable data and information
on water to guide and improve the decision making process;
v1.
Match financial resources to the level of responsibilities across levels of government and
water institutions, with clear rules for sustainable cost recovery and cost efficiency in the use
and management of water resources;
vu.
Establish sound regulatory frameworks and incentives for proper oversight, enforcement and
compliance to promote efficiency and protect users in all sub-sectors of water policy;
v111. Identify and remove barriers and bottlenecks to innovation, and steer innovative practices
across responsible authorities, organizational silos, and levels of government for future
oriented and cost effective water policy;
1x.
Enhance integrity and transparency practices across policies and institutions for greater
accountability and buy-in;
x.
Engage with public, private and non-profit stakeholders throughout the water policy cycle for
meaningful, informed and outcome-oriented contribution to the decision making process
within and outside the water box;

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Design and implement water policies that foster equity across categories of users, rural and
urban territories, as well as present and future generations in line with broader economic,
social and environmental objectives;
Conduct regular and thorough monitoring and evaluation of water policies and disclose
results to the public in order to identify areas of improvement, and allow for flexible,
adjustable, transparent and broadly accepted water governance;
Reform legal and institutional frameworks and clarify the roles and relationships between
actors;
Enhance water management at the river basin scale and support development of river basin
organizations;
Foster empowerment of horizontal coordination tools and coherence of programs and
regulation, and;
Strengthen financial instruments for effective governance ensuring economic efficiency and
social equity.

Cooperation for Reducing Conflict and Improving Transboundary Water Management

44.

Cooperation and dialogue over transboundary waters among riparian countries offer significant
prospects for sustainable development and the prevention of conflicts, greater regional integration and
the strengthening of peace and stability. We encourage riparian countries to strengthen cooperative
legal and institutional frameworks to manage river basins in a cooperative, coordinated and equitable
manner. We also underscore the need to improve water monitoring, joint research and exchange of
relevant data and information that is comparable, compatible and credible in the context of
transboundary basins and aquifers. We will further enhance public access to such water and related
information - especially that enable reducing risks from floods and droughts - and to facilitate the
exchange of relevant information among riparian countries.

45.

In line with the Principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and taking
advantage of the 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation, we are committed to enhance
cooperation across and beyond water, taking into account the interests of all riparian States
concerned, to foster peace and stability. We appreciate cooperative efforts in the field of
transboundary waters. We note the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (Watercourses Convention) in August 2014
and the global opening of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses
and International Lakes (UNECE Water Convention).

46.

We furthermore recognize the need for reasonable and proper management of transboundary aquifers
and encourage countries to enter into dialogue and arrangements for the proper management of their
transboundary aquifers.

47.

We recognize the need to cooperate both across country borders and between sectors for the sustainable
management of national and transboundary water resources. We intend to enhance policy coherence
and stronger integration across sectors for energy production, land .management, water resources
planning and environmental management to limit negative cross-sectoral and transboundary impacts
and create opportunities for additional and equitable sharing of benefits. We furthermore recognize the
need for coordination between the governance and management of freshwater and marine systems "from Source to Sea" - and preventing the pollution of surface, ground, and coastal waters and
oceans.

Water Cultures, Justice and Equity

48.

We acknowledge that water is at the core of civilizations and a key component in all cultures, past,

..

present and future. Water-related decisions have strong ethical dimensions of existential importance,
especially for most vulnerable groups affected by poverty, exclusion and discrimination, including women
and indigenous peoples as well as for our planet's natural ecosystems. We commit to foster the knowledge
embedded in the collective experience of humanity to respect its diversity, as they hold irreplaceable keys
for the human made and natural environments' capacity to respond with wisdom and justice to change
function as a catalyzer for peaceful and equitable cooperation. We also commit to fully take the complex
cultural realities and ethical imperatives into account in management and governance of water and to
enhance cooperation with all relevant actors.
Enhancing Education and Capacity Building

49.

We acknowledge that education on water and capacity development in water-related activities and
programs at all levels are essential for reducing inequality and empowering civil society. We therefore
recognize the need for an effective educational program on water for children and youth.

50.

We further endeavor to foster creation of water-related jobs and enhance expertise in water management
such as irrigation, water supply and sanitation. We therefore support vocational training on water by
sustainable financial mechanisms.

51.

We encourage bi- and multilateral cooperation programs on water through international cooperation
organizations to incorporate these ideals and the experimentation, evaluation and exchange of know-how
on vocational training, including by supporting cooperation networks between existing training centers and
new ones to be created.

52.

We recognize that educating communities, especially youth, children, women and girls, is the key to
sustainable water management. It is the energy of youth that will push the boundaries of education far and
wide enough to make links between different aspects of technology, knowledge and strategy to create tools
and techniques that will lead to a proper understanding of water issues and their solutions. Young people are
a strategic group for global education using unconventional tools such as high technology.
Science and Technology

53.

54.

11

We underscore that the World Water Forum will pave the way from "solutions" to "implementation"
by applying innovative and applicable technologies to policy and building sound and effective action
plan linking science, technology, policy and practice. In this regard, we will continue to build on progress
and further strengthen participation in the Science and Technology Process inaugurated at the 7th World
Water Forum.
We recognize that the convergence of information and communications technologies (ICT) on
water will be an important element for linking science and technology to policy.

55.

We will make efforts to provide scientific support and promote the development and sharing of relevant
technologies for reduction of water-related diseases and improved wastewater management. In this regard,
we take note of the need to enhance the sustainability of sewage service through reuse and resource
recovery of wastewater.

56.

We acknowledge that measurement of water flows, related fluxes and impacts across time and space to
economic sectors including environment, provide vital information to develop robust and equitable water
allocation and management systems.

..

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57.

We will work to use science, technology and innovation to design and implement policies that improve
efficiency throughout the water cycle, including those that recognize the inter-linkages between water-landenergy and policies that promote sustainable production and consumption throughout life cycles and
management of water demand.

58.

We support a concerted methodology for data collection and socioeconomic analysis as an important basis
for effective operation of national platforms for evidence based policy making . We further underscore the
integration and fusion of collected observational data with socioeconomic data through those national
platforms in collaboration with GEO(Group on Earth Observations) , as indispensable steps to transform
such data into usable information for sound decision making .

59.

We recognize that innovation in the water sector should incorporate developments from outside the water
box , that ICT development should harness innovation in the water sector and the success model of
SMART(Sustainable Management of Available Water Resources with Innovative Technologies), GEOSS
(Global Earth Observation System of Systems)and DIAS(Data Integration & Analysis System) should
be shared and transferred between the water and the science and technology sectors.
/End/

11