Prof. Ahmet Mete Saatçı (SUEN President), Assoc. Prof. Aslıhan Kerc (Project Development and Implementation Coordinator), Burcu Çallı (Expert) and Dr. Tuğba Evrim Maden (Expert) of SUEN participated in the 8th World Water Forum, which was held in Brasilia, Brazil between 18 and 23 March 2018, as members of the Turkish delegation headed by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs; Mr. Akif Özkaldı.
Turkey was represented by Mr. Akif Özkaldı at the Ministerial Conference, attended by 56 ministers and 14 vice-ministers and undersecretaries. The Ministerial Declaration which was negotiated in 18 March at a meeting participated by SUEN, was adopted within the Ministerial Conference.
At the national statement and roundtable meetings held during the Ministerial Conference, the head of the Turkish Delegation, Mr. Akif Özkaldı, was accompanied by SUEN representatives.
Turkey was also represented by Mr. Akif Özkaldı at the “People” themed roundtable meeting which was one of the 6 thematic roundtable meetings held on the first day of the Forum. Taking part in this meeting provided Turkey an opportunity to express her activities and projects run by the Turkish government and local administrations to meet WASH needs of Syrian refugees.
Undersecretary Mr. Akif Özkaldı made the National Statement on behalf of Turkey. Experiences that were gained through the 5th World Water Forum and the Istanbul International Water Fora, services provided in the water and sanitation field for over 3.5 million Syrians living in Turkey, international water aid by Turkey and the necessity for an international water fund were the major topics covered in the National Statement.
Click to read the full text of the National Statement
HIGH LEVEL PANELS
High Level Panel on Water and Migration
In the High Level Panel on Water and Migration organised by the FAO, the relation between water and migration which has become a global issue was addressed. The Panel also focused on the experiences on ensuring water security for immigrant groups in different countries and the best practices with participation of the representatives of international organizations and host countries.
President of SUEN Prof. Dr. Ahmet M. Saatçı participated in the session as a speaker representing Turkey as the country hosting the greatest number of refugees globally. In his speech, SUEN President talked about the water and sanitation services provided for Syrian refugees in Turkey. Prof Saatçı also shared scientific information which refutes the claim that Turkey had a role in triggering the water scarcity which fuelled the conflict in Syria and emphasized the role of good water management to prevent root causes of migration.
SPECIAL SESSIONS
From the 7th to the 8th World water Forum: Three Years of Implementation Roadmaps
SUEN President Prof. Saatçı participated in the special session co-organised by Korea and the World Water Council and in which implementation of the decisions taken in the 7th World Water Forum in 2015 were assessed. In his speech, Prof. Saatçı emphasized the importance of continuity and monitoring of the activities initiated at the 7th World Water Forum and stated that it is also important to activate the Istanbul Water Consensus signed by more than 1000 municipalities all over the world with a specific focus on the champion cities.
WGG-Water Security Special Session: Green Transition for Enhancing Water Security for All
Impacts of the green growth on water security were mainly discussed in the Session attended by an audience of high profile water actors and which was held in the Koreaan Pavillion.
The panel included 5 good practice examples from different parts of the world. In this context, SUEN Project Development and Implementation Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Aslıhan Kerç made a presentation on the restoration of the Golden Horn in Istanbul.
THEMATIC SESSIONS
2.a.3. The Invisible Realities: Water and Sanitation for Populations in Vulnerable Situations
This session addressed water and sanitation needs of the populations in vulnerable situations such as refugees, immigrants, slum and rural populations, challenges about meeting these needs and the work of governments, local administrations and the civil society in this field. Burcu Calli from SUEN made a presentation titled “Meeting WASH Needs of Refugees: Case of Syrian Refugees in Turkey”. SUEN, as one of the session coordinators also took part in reporting the results of the Session.
5.d.3. Implementing Technical Solutions to Improve Water Quality at Medium, Small and Micro-scales
In this session, water and sanitation practices at small-scales and technologies that can be applied for wastewater reuse at different scales were discussed. SUEN Project Development and Implementation Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Aslıhan Kerch made a presentation on the technical details of water supply and sanitation services including water and waste water treatment, for Syrian refugees living both in the temporary accommodation centres and in urban areas in Turkey. SUEN also took part in reporting the results of the session.
SUEN also took part in reporting the results of the session.
EVENTS IN THE TURKISH PAVILLION
UNEP Global Wastewater Initiative (GW2I) Meeting-Turkey Waste Water Stand
UNEP GW2I which SUEN is a member of, had a meeting in Turkish Pavilion to discuss the future activities of the initiative with participation of its members. SUEN Project Development and Implementation Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Aslıhan Kerç, representatives of institutions such as UNEP, US EPA, and SIANI participated in the meeting.
Presentation in Turkish Pavillion
Burcu Çallı of SUEN made a presentation focusing on the Syrian refugees living in Turkey. The presentation covered data and remarkable statistical graphics about over 3,5 million Syrians in Turkey. Information on the work carried out by the central government and the municipalities to meet WASH needs of refugees both living in the temporary accommodation centres and in urban, peri-urban and rural areas all around Turkey was also shared.
