The event aims to create spaces for discussion on the financing of basic sanitation infrastructure, governance challenges for universal water and sanitation provision, and adaptation and resilience. “Sharing Water” is the theme of the 8th edition of the World Water Forum, which will be held for the first time in South America between 18 and 23 March, in Brasília.

The event, which will bring together a broad range of stakeholders from various levels of government, is the largest and most important forum for discussion on water resource management, aiming to promote awareness, build political commitments, and drive actions that contribute to the conservation, protection, planning, management, and efficient use of this resource.

In this context, on the 20th and 21st, ICLEI, along with the World Water Council, the Sub-chefcy of Federal Affairs of the Secretariat of Government of the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the Global Water Operators' Partnerships Alliance – UN-Habitat, and the National Confederation of Municipalities, will be promoting the 5th Conference of Local and Regional Authorities to discuss the challenges faced by local and regional governments in water resource management.

The event will bring together Mayors, Secretaries, and local authorities from all over the world and will feature a delegation from ICLEI of more than 20 representatives, from 13 cities and 5 countries; who will participate in discussions and share their experiences during the Conference days. The event is organised into two plenary sessions, eight parallel sessions and a session for presenting successful water management cases.

The first plenary session, entitled “From Local Water Governance to International Agendas,” will explore the link between local-level water governance and the fulfilment of commitments made towards the implementation of various agendas, particularly Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 6. The second plenary session, “Sharing Water: Cooperation at All Levels,” will address water sharing and the need for cross-sectoral and multi-level cooperation for its management.

The discussion will allow for the sharing of knowledge and practices on water resources. On the other hand, the parallel sessions will address issues such as financing for basic sanitation infrastructure, equitable access to water, local governance, water supply and combating water scarcity, and adaptation and resilience.

Success stories

On the second day of the conference, there will be a dedicated space for presenting success stories, where a series of inspiring accounts will be shared by mayors, governors, and other local stakeholders. The aim is to demonstrate how local or regional leadership acts to solve water-related challenges and how this impacts a broader scenario.

Finally, as the final outcome of the event, a session will be held in which all participating authorities will be invited to endorse, by acclamation, the “Call to Action” of Brasilia.

Israeli experience

ICLEI, in partnership with Israel Trade & Investment Brazil, will simultaneously hold the seminar: “Facing the challenges of water in scarce regions”, which aims to provide local and regional governments with an exchange of experience on water resource management in both the public and private sectors.

Furthermore, the institutions have been promoting opportunities for bilateral dialogues between local governments, interested partners and Israeli companies with the aim of identifying opportunities for developing innovative solutions for water resource management. This activity will be supported by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and will take place at the official Israeli Pavilion at the World Water Forum.

Note. The 5th Conference of Local and Regional Authorities and the seminar “Facing Water Challenges in Scarce Regions” will be held at the Ulysses Guimarães Convention Centre. For more information on the agenda, visit Here.