What political outcomes are expected from the Forum? Will politicians avoid commitments?
The World Water Forum has come to understand that more than Ministerial Conferences and Declarations are needed to encourage the linkage between the political and technical aspects of water and to increase the political will to act. This Forum will have meetings of Mayors from megacities who will make strong commitments to deal with water in their cities, through the Istanbul Urban Water Consensus. It will also include parliamentarians who will discuss the law changes that are required to face up to water challenges. As in the past, there will be a Ministerial Conference, but on this occasion it will ask Ministers to focus on a specific issue, namely society’s adaptations to climate change. In addition, the Forum will include opportunities for interaction during the week among and between participants in the different elements of the political process and the thematic aspects of the Forum. While Ministerial Declarations have been presented at previous World Water Fora, the Political Pr
