The Grand Hassan II World Water Prize was awarded this year to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for its commitment to “water resource security for food sovereignty and shared prosperity.”
The 8th Hassan II World Water Prize prize was handed over to the FAO representative in Indonesia this Monday May 20 by Head of the Moroccan Government Minister Aziz Akhannouch, who was accompanied by Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, during the official opening ceremony of the 10th edition of the World Water Forum, held in Bali, Indonesia May 18 – 25.
The FAO, which was selected from 84 nominations received by the secretariat of the Hassan II World Water Prize, received a check worth $500,000.
Aziz Akhannouch stated in an address during the awarding ceremony that the Hassan II World Water Prize pays tribute to the late Hassan II for his actions in water policy, particularly through the construction of dams and irrigation networks. This prize also pays tribute to King Mohammed VI, who has initiated an ambitious $14 billion program dedicated to water sustainability, he said.
This program provides for continuing the construction of water dams, the transfer of water from basin to basin, and the construction of several seawater desalination units in major Moroccan cities such as Casablanca, Agadir and Tangier, added the Head of Government.
This year’s prize has been organized under the theme “Water Resources Security for Food Sovereignty and Shared Prosperity,” given the global context marked by successive crises and the worsening effects of climate change, which have made water security and food sovereignty a challenge for all countries.
The Hassan II World Water Prize, established in March 2002, is a joint initiative of the World Water Council and Morocco. It bears profound meanings that celebrate solidarity and the encouragement of science, innovation, and fruitful work in the field of water, and rewards, during the triennial World Water Forum, the initiators of projects that have made a significant contribution in the fields of water resource development and use, at both scientific and economic, technical, environmental, social, institutional, cultural, or political levels.
The FAO, a United Nations intergovernmental organization, received the 8th edition of this award in recognition of its commitment to the global water agenda and food security, according to a statement from the Ministry of Equipment and Water. FAO was also honored for its efforts to improve water availability for agricultural production, achieve food security, and increase farmers’ income, the statement said, paying tribute to all the initiatives and projects the FAO has implemented on the ground.
The opening ceremony of the 10th World Water Forum featured a screening of an institutional film on the water resources management policy of the Kingdom of Morocco.
Besides its participation in the forum, the Kingdom is present in the “Exhibition Space,” held on the sidelines of the global forum.
The Morocco Pavilion thus highlights the Kingdom’s experience in water resource management in the face of current and future challenges.
Additionally, the parallel events and seminars organized in this Pavilion will provide an opportunity to share experiences and to showcase the efficiency of the anticipatory national water policy and to confirm its dynamism and renewal in the face of the multiple challenges encountered in water resource management, particularly the challenge of climate change.
Since its first edition in Marrakech in 1997, the World Water Forum has stood out as a unique platform for the exchange of experiences and knowledge, and a major opportunity to increase high-level international mobilization around sensitive water-related issues, capable of unifying visions to tackle global water challenges.
According to the organizers, the 10th World Water Forum is expected to welcome more than 30,000 participants from 172 countries, including hundreds of ministerial delegations and thousands of participants from various backgrounds, as well as international organizations, NGOs, businesses, professional networks, research institutions, civil society, and the media.
This edition features a series of activities and events, as well as high-level working sessions, seminars, and ministerial meetings.