Sejong, March 21 - The Ministry of Environment (ME, Minister Han Jeoung Ae) announced that it would participate in the 9th World Water Forum held in Dakar, Senegal, from March 21 to 25. The Ministry will introduce its best water management policies and water-related technologies during the forum. The World Water Forum is an international event that has been organized around World Water Day (March 22) every three years since 1997 by the World Water Council1. Korea had hosted the 7th World Water Forum in 2015. 

This year's forum will take place under the theme "Water security for peace and development." The World Water Council and the Senegal government will co-host the forum. The forum will be participated by world leaders, including the presidents of Senegal, Congo, and Egypt, and representatives of international organizations, including the African Development Bank, Development Bank of Latin America, and World Bank. Representatives of local governments, corporates, the academic field, and non-profit organizations in the area of water will also be present.

The Korean government will be represented by the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Daegu Metropolitan Government, K-water, Korea Environment Corporation, and Korea Water Forum.

Among the four priorities2 of the forum, the Ministry of Environment will participate in the Keystone Roundtable for Means and Tools, a special session on "Carbon Neutral Smart Water Management for Climate Resilience," and a high-level roundtable to solve the climate crisis in the water sector. The Korean delegation will introduce Korea's smart water management policies towards carbon neutrality in response to the climate crisis and call for global cooperation in the field. ME will also hold a signing ceremony with the concerned institutions3 for a pilot project of the UNESCO Seal of Excellence for Urban Water Management-a program approved by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) Intergovernmental Council at the 4th extraordinary session of the Council in October 2021. 

This program aims to improve the quality of the tap water and public water supply system to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation for all) in response to climate change. The pilot project will be conducted in Seoul and Daegu for a year, starting in July 2022. In addition, the Ministry of Environment will run the Korea Pavilion to showcase Korea's water management policies and water-related technologies. Daegu Metropolitan Government, K-water, UNESCO International Centre for Water Security and Sustainable Management, Korea Water Cluster of Korea Environment Corporation, and five Korean water companies (including O2 B&B) will participate in the pavilion. 

Moon Je-won, Director of Water Industry and International Cooperation Division, said, "The Ministry of Environment hopes to improve the nation's image in the water sector through the forum. This forum would also be a chance for Korean companies to enter the global market."

1 World Water Council (WWC): World's largest international organization in the field of water, which encompass over 400 members, including international organizations, governments, academia, civic groups, and corporates (established in 1996; President: Loic Fauchon)

※ Host cities of the World Water Forum: 1st (1997): Marrakech, Morocco / 2nd (2000): The Hague, Netherlands / 3rd (2003): Kyoto and Osaka, Japan / 4th (2006): Mexico City, Mexico / 5th (2009): Istanbul, Turkey / 6th (2012): Marseille, France / 7th (2015): Daegu and Gyeongju, South Korea / 8th (2018): Brasilia, Brazil / 9th (2022): Dakar, Senegal

2 Four priorities: 1. Water security and sanitation; 2. Water for rural development; 3. Cooperation; 4. Means and tools

3 Ministry of Environment, UNESCO-IHP, Daegu Metropolitan Government, and K-water (Seoul Metropolitan Government signed in advance

Contact: Oh Shin-young, Deputy Director 

Water Industry and Int’t Cooperation Division +82-(0)44-201-7633 

Foreign Media Contact: CHUN Minjo

+82-(0)44-201-6055 / rachelmchun@korea.kr