The 10th World Water Forum 2024, held in Bali, Indonesia, from May 20-24, is the world’s largest event on water. The event focused on the theme “Water for Shared Prosperity” and brought together government officials, water sector advocates, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and water resources management (WRM) experts and practitioners, academic institutions, and the private sector. The participation of 160 countries and numerous international organizations demonstrated the event’s success in assembling local and global stakeholders to discuss WASH and WRM sustainability issues and solutions.
USAID’s flagship climate-change resilient water and sanitation project, USAID IUWASH Tangguh, participated as part of a larger USAID delegation that included senior officials from USAID Global Water and USAID Indonesia. USAID IUWASH Tangguh conducted a well-organized, engaging outreach campaign to promote key messages on universal access to climate-resilient, safely managed drinking water and sanitation. During the World Water Forum, the project hosted online talk shows, interactive games, senior-level bilateral meetings, and discussions at various side events throughout the week.
At USAID’s exhibition space, USAID IUWASH Tangguh organized three virtual talk shows broadcasted live through its Instagram and YouTube channels. These “IG Live” and “mini talk shows” featured the USAID Mission Director, USAID IUWASH Tangguh Chief of Party, Deputy Minister on Infrastructure and Facilities of Bappenas, a professor from the University of Padjadjaran, and winners of the USAID IUWASH Tangguh vlog competition. They discussed topics such as universal access to water and sanitation, watershed protection for a sustainable water supply, and youth participation in the sector.
USAID IUWASH Tangguh also highlighted key project achievements through behavior-change posters and six featured short videos replayed on the exhibition space’s multifunction television. A “spin the wheel” game engaged visitors by raising awareness and educating them about good hygiene practices, sanitation facts and tips, and water conservation. These interactive activities attracted over 250 visitors.
Beyond the exhibition space, USAID IUWASH Tangguh facilitated the USAID delegation’s participation in several key events, including a bilateral meeting between the USAID Indonesia Mission Director and the Deputy Minister of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), and a courtesy call between the USAID Global Water Coordinator and the Minister of Public Works and Housing (PUPR).
The World Water Forum hosted hundreds of sessions to facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogues, providing national and international delegations the opportunity to address water and sanitation challenges and sustainable development goals. IUWASH Tangguh supported the USAID delegation’s engagement in multiple sessions focusing on critical aspects of the WASH and WRM sectors. These thematic sessions included Innovative Finances for Transboundary and Cross-Border Cooperation, Indonesia Water Solutions through Innovation and Collaboration, Multistakeholder Coordination in Financing Safe Water and Sanitation Services, Green Investment Case for Innovation, and a dialogue on Mother Forest: Forests as the Roots of the Food, Energy, and Water Nexus.
During the World Water Forum, USAID IUWASH Tangguh developed 60 social media posts to promote the project’s activities and collaborated with @usaidindonesia to maximize reach and engagement. They included daily recap videos, photo slide shows, Shorts, Reels, and Stories published on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, generating over 7,500 engagements.
The project’s participation at the World Water Forum was the culmination of smaller events that IUWASH Tangguh organized earlier in the year. These included multiple regional events to celebrate World Water Day, including a national-level event with the Ministry of Health in Serang, Banten province. The build-up also included a month-long vlogging competition and a senior USAID Global Water Coordinator visit to project sites in Pasuruan district and Surabaya city, East Java.
USAID IUWASH Tangguh successfully leveraged the forum’s platform to amplify its objectives of improving universal access to climate-resilient, safely managed drinking water and sanitation. Beyond participating in the global movement, IUWASH Tangguh’s involvement in the 10th World Water Forum further strengthened USAID’s commitment to addressing challenges in the WASH and WRM sectors and accelerated concrete action with the Indonesian government and other key stakeholders.
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