The 5th World Water Forum will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, from 16 to 22 March 2009.

African delegates prepare for the 5th World Water Forum

Mr André Mader of the ICLEI Africa Secretariat represented both ICLEI Africa and the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA) at a recent meeting in preparation for the 5th World Water Forum. The aim of the meeting, held in Tunis, Tunisia from 8 – 9 August 2008, was for African delegates to begin preparing and coordinating their input into the 5th World Water Forum, which will be held from 16 – 22 March 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Representing the voice of local governments

Mr. Mader's presence in Tunis was particularly important due to the fact that he was the sole representative of local government at the preparatory meeting. As a result ICLEI Africa and UCLGA will be represented on the Regional Coordination Committee (RCC). The RCC is responsible for the following aspects of Africa’s involvement at the World Water Forum:

• Approving the overall framework and road-map
• Coordinating and monitoring the preparatory process
• Identifying the high-level aims of African participation, and Forum outcomes
• Guiding and contributing to the preparation of Regional Position Paper
• Organisation of ‘Africa Day’
• Securing effective inputs into thematic and topic sessions in a timely manner
• Formulating strategies and action plans for African participation in Water Fair and EXPO
• Formulating practical strategies for achieving results at the Forum.

A number of other delegates at the meeting were also very supportive of local government involvement. Mr Rapule Pule, also of the ICLEI Africa Secretariat, has since attended a follow-up meeting at the World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden, and will be flying the flag for local government at the World Water Forum itself in 2009.

ICLEI and Water related activities

SWITCH

This projects aims at developing sustainable urban water systems through a combination of research, technological development, demonstration activities and training within a Learning Alliance framework.

LoGoWater

This project, completed in 2008, was implemented by a group of African and European partners, in direct cooperation with a set of associated local governmentsfrom the four countries of the Limpopo river basin.

Website

http://www.worldwaterforum5.org/