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Bali, May 18-24, 2024 – The 10th World Water Forum, held in Bali, Indonesia, is the largest international forum in the water sector, bringing together global leaders, innovators, and organizations to address the pressing challenges facing our water resources. This year, the theme emphasized revitalizing real action and fostering collective commitment to sustainable water solutions. As the world struggles with increasing water scarcity and pollution, the need for innovation in water management has never been more urgent.

At this esteemed forum, Water Footprint Implementation (WFI) proudly introduced Water Footprint Compensation—a transformative initiative designed to address the imbalance in the global water cycle. This ambitious project is part of our vision for a water-secure world where all water users share the responsibility of restoring a healthy water cycle, utilizing innovative financing mechanisms to achieve significant impact.

Breaking the Cycle of Water Mismanagement:

Water resources across the globe are under immense strain, leading to severe water scarcity and pollution. The Water Footprint Compensation initiative offers a solution to address these challenges, operating on the principle of “a litre for a litre” to help rebalance our fragile water systems.

Launched during the United Nations Water Conference in New York in March 2023, Phase 1 laid the foundation for this first-of-its-kind water offset scheme. Now, at the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, we aimed to accelerate our efforts by creating a Coalition of the Willing—a diverse group of ambitious organizations coming together to implement Phase 2.

Highlights from the World Water Forum Session

Our session at the Netherlands Pavilion Booth ND10 was an incredible opportunity to showcase the transformative potential of Water Footprint Compensation. We heard from a range of committed partners who shared how this initiative could help restore the world’s hydrological cycle.

• Luzette Kroon, representing Blue Deal Netherlands, expressed her support for the Water Footprint Compensation scheme, emphasizing the importance of using every available tool and financing mechanism to transition towards a water-secure future.
• Kees van der Lugt from WorldWaternet presented an inspiring example of a decentralized wastewater treatment system, BluElephant, being used in the Palestinian Territories as part of Water Footprint Compensation.
• Adriaan Mels, representing the WaterWorX program, showcased how compensation funding could support vital projects, such as reducing non-revenue water and preventing soil erosion.
• Amy Munro from FoxallMunro/11th Hour Racing shared her experiences from pilot project focused on wetland rehabilitation in Cape Town, offering the perspective of a compensator actively restoring ecosystems.

A Call to Action: Join the Coalition of the Willing

The session at World Water Forum highlighted not only the potential of Water Footprint Compensation but also the critical role of partnerships in tackling global water challenges. 

As we continue to scale up our efforts, WFI is actively seeking more partners to join our Coalition of the Willing. Together, we aim to develop and implement practical water solutions across regions and sectors, using innovative financing mechanisms to unlock the potential of Water Footprint Compensation.

If you are ready to be part of this transformative journey to restore our water cycle and create a more water-secure world, we invite you to join us. Together, we can use our collective strengths to build a sustainable future for water.

Join us and be a part of the solution. Together, we can make a difference.