"Bridging Divides for Water"
The 5th World Water Forum will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, from 16 to 22 March 2009.
Building on the success of the 4th World Water Forum held in Mexico City in March 2006, which boasted over 15,000 visitors from every continent, Istanbul was selected as the host of the Forum from six possible candidates following an extensive process. With a history rich in water resources, culture and technology, Turkey presented a very strong candidature, especially due to the tri-partite cooperation established between the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
The Forum is an open, all-inclusive, multi-stakeholder process, which is the culmination of over two years of preparatory activities. In this way, the World Water Forum is not just a week-long event; it is a process which aims to raise the importance, awareness and understanding of water issues and propose concrete solutions to address global challenges.
