World Water Forum

Held once every three years, the World Water Forum is the largest privately-organized gathering of water officials in the world. It is not a UN-organized event, but developed and managed by the World Water Council, a consortium of mostly private companies active in the water and sanitation sector. The most recent forum was held in Istanbul, Turkey in March 2009. Previous Fora were held in Morocco (1997), the Netherlands (2000), Japan (2003) and Mexico (2006).

The World Water Fora are usually dominated by industry executives and government bureaucrats - the World Water Mafia - keen on advocating for more dirty, risky dams and water privatization. International Rivers has attended almost every water forum to convey the message that large dams are a risky business for people and the planet. Water and river movements have always organized alternative water events in parallel with the official events - and International Rivers has always supported those events. 

International Rivers sent three staff to the most recent World Water Forum, and the Alternative Water Forum, in Istanbul in March 2009. They were part of an international contingent of experts and activists from Thailand to Uganda who highlighted the impacts of dirty, risky dams on communities, ecosystems and economies and conveyed the message "No Risky Dams".

In Istanbul, International Rivers, Friends of the Earth International and Oxfam Australia also launched the Free Rivers Award. This award was presented to Turkish group, Hasankeyf'i Yaşatma Girişimi, for their efforts to protect the Tigris River and support communities that depend on it from the construction of the Ilisu Dam.

LATEST ADDITIONS:

Protesters arrested at World Water Forum in Istanbul

Turkey deports two water activists over water demo

Big Dams: A Flood of Risk

Who's Behind the World Water Forums?

Preaching Tap and Drinking Bottle?

CONTACT US:

Peter Bosshard
peter [at] internationalrivers [dot] org
+1 510 848 1155