Candidatures open for the KYOTO WORLD WATER GRAND PRIZE

23.8.2014 The World Water Council and the Japan Water Forum announce the opening of candidatures for the 4th edition of the Kyoto World Water Grand Prize.

Marseille - The Kyoto World Water Grand Prize targets all grass-roots organizations from developing countries involved in the field of water. This prestigious prize aims to find and develop outstanding grass-roots activities related to water issues around the world. These activities may include projects, awareness-raising campaigns and promotion of participatory process on water-related issues such as water supply and sanitation, water-related diseases, irrigation, drainage, dams, river and lake basins, wetlands, groundwater, poverty, gender and/or ethnic equity, capacity building, community participation, poverty reduction and more.

The selection process for the 4th Prize will focus particularly on organizations with a record of innovative and expandable grassroots activities that may serve as a model for others. Consideration will also be given to the contents of the project, which is to be funded by the grant, including the degree of problem-solving, cost-effectiveness, sustainability and expandability. More

The deadline for applications is 30 September 2014.

The 2,000,000 JPY (approx. 20,000 USD) Prize will be awarded during the 7th World Water Forum in Daegu-Gyeongbuk (12-17 April 2015).
This 4th edition, co-organized by the Japan Water Forum and the World Water Council, was initiated by the City of Kyoto as host of the 3rd World Water Forum in 2003. Since then, the Kyoto World Water Grand Prize has been awarded every three years, at each World Water Forum.

The Kyoto World Water Grand Prize winners
2006 Prize Winner - Awarded at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City, Mexico: Gram Vikas (India) -http://gramvikas.org/

2009 Prize Winner - Awarded at the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey: Watershed Organization Trust(India) - http://www.wotr.org/

2012 Prize Winner - Awarded at the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille, France: Katosi Women Development Trust (Uganda) - http://www.katosi.org/


About the World Water Council
The World Water Council is an international organization that aims at promoting awareness, building political commitment and triggering action on critical water issues by bringing people together, through active hydro-politics, and serving as linkage between stakeholders and decision-makers.
The World Water Council, which has its headquarters in Marseille, France, was created in 1996. It brings together over 300 member organizations from more than 50 different countries.
It represents a multi-stakeholder water community including representatives from intergovernmental organizations, national governments, business sector, NGOs and water users associations, and academia.
Every three years, the World Water Council organizes the World Water Forum in close collaboration with the authorities of the host country. More than 20,000 stakeholders and decision makers from over 170 countries attended the latest edition, in a joint effort to build strong political commitment. The Council catalyzes collective action in between each World Water Forum and guarantees continuity and success from one edition to another.
More: www.worldwatercouncil.org


About the Japan Water Forum, member of the World Water Council
Created in 2004, the Japan Water Forum makes a substantial contribution of global water issues, by engaging people and societies through dynamic movement, innovative ideas and resolute actions. It has taken over the knowledge and experiences that were achieved at the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto, Shiga and Osaka in 2003. It has developed its networks between Japanese society and the international community, for example, it has served as the secretariat of the Asia- Pacific Water Forum (APWF), the Northern Water Network (NoWNET) and the Water Security Council of Japan. In 2007, the Japan Water Forum, as the secretariat, played an important role in organizing the 1st Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Beppu, Japan, bringing out political leadership and responsibility for the solutions of water problems. The Japan Water Forum, as Secretariat of APWF, contributed to the 6th World Water Forum in 2012, Marseille, as the coordinator of Asia-Pacific region.
More: http://www.waterforum.jp


About the 7th World Water Forum - ’Water for our future” - 12-17 April 2015 - Daegu & Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
The 7th edition of the world’s largest water event will gather participants from the international water community: academics, research institutions, enterprises, professional networks, governments and policy-makers, IGOs and NGOs, as well as representatives from various fields such as agriculture, food or energy. The 7th World Water Forum will focus on the implementation of the solutions that were identified during the 6th edition (Marseille, France, 2012). The legacy the 7th World Water Forum will therefore include:
- Moving from Solutions to Implementation
- Bridging the Platform of Science & Technology to Water Issues
- Ensuring a significant place for water in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Necessitating two years of collaborative preparation with stakeholders from around the world, the Forum consists of 4 preparatory processes within a common framework, so as to catalyze collective action and positive change. These processes are Regional, Political, Thematic as well as Science and Technology. The Thematic process, overarching backbone of the Forum, is built according to 4 goals and tools:
- Water Security for All
- Water for Development and Prosperity
- Water for Sustainability: Harmonizing Humans and Nature
- Constructing Feasible Implementation Mechanisms
The 7th World Water Forum will also be composed of cultural events, side events, a water exhibition, and a Citizen’s Forum, including a Youth and Children’s Forum, to raise citizens’ awareness in favor of water.
The 7th World Water Forum is jointly organized by the World Water Council and the Republic of Korea together with the city of Daegu and the Province of Gyeongbuk.
More: http://eng.worldwaterforum7.org/en