São Paulo – The Moroccan government ‘s King Hassan II Great World Water Prize will be awarded during the 8th World Water Forum in Brazil next year. Individuals and organizations can nominate professionals who carry out relevant work in water-related issues.
The forum will run from March 18 to 23 in Brasília, and over 450 international and Brazilian organizations are involved, according to the event’s executive director Ricardo Andrade. Fifteen thousand people are expected to attend the forum each day. Eight heads of state have confirmed their attendance. Morocco’s prime-minister Saadeddine Othmani will be present for the award ceremony during the opening of the forum.
Themed “Sharing Water,” the Forum will cover good practices, past experiences, international cooperation and partnerships involving organizations and governments. Attendees will include local and international authorities, self-employed workers, private sector players and academicians. “It is a pluralistic environment where everyone gets their say and can contribute their own views,” Andrade told ANBA.
Arab countries are usually involved in the Forum, whose first-ever edition took place in Morocco. “There’s always an actual and relevant participation from Arabs,” says Andrade, noting that Europe and the Americas are also well represented.
This year’s event will cover six subjects – climate, people, development, urban, ecosystems and finance – as well as three themes that will permeate all discussions – sustainability, governance and competitiveness. The Citizen Village area is designed to host activities whose goal is to improve people’s use of water. An Expo & Fair will feature national and corporate pavilions where products and services will be on offer.
The King Hassan II Great World Water Prize was created in connection with the Forum. The government of Morocco holds each edition of the prize alongside the World Water Council and the country hosting the Forum. Nominations for the ongoing edition will be accepted until November 30. The prize is USD 100,000. The Brazilian civil engineer Jelson Kelman won the prize in 2003. Currently the president of the São Paulo water utility company Sabesp, he is a professor in water resources. He has published books and worked with several water-related institutions.
The Brazilian edition of the Forum is being organized by the Brazilian Ministry of Environment, with backing from Brazil’s National Water Agency (ANA), the Federal District government, and the Water, Energy and Basic Sanitation Authority of the Brazilian Federal District (Adasa). The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce is looking into becoming involved, since Arab countries are particularly interested in water-related issues.
Quick facts:
World Water Forum
March 18 to 23, 2018
Brasília – DF
Website: http://www.worldwaterforum8.org/
King Hassan II Great World Water Prize
Nominations open until November 30, 2017
Nomination form: http://hassan2.worldwatercouncil.org/index.php/en/nomination-form-2017
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
