Daegu City to Host 'World Water Cities Forum' Online on 22nd and 23rd... 9 Cities from 8 Countries Participate

Discussion on Practical Solutions for Water Issues between Yixing (China) and Bangkok (Thailand) under the Theme of 'Intercity Water Cooperation and Innovation'

The photo shows Mayor Kwon Young-jin and other attendees cutting a tape at the Korea International Water Week held at EXCO in Daegu on September 12, 2018.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Daegu City will hold the 'World Water Cities Forum' online for two days on the 22nd and 23rd at EXCO to further strengthen the global network with overseas water industry cities and international organizations.

The 'World Water Cities Forum' (WWCF), hosted annually by Daegu City since 2015, will be held this year both online and offline through a video conferencing platform due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

This year's event will feature online video conferences with 9 cities from 8 countries including Orange County in the United States, Leeuwarden in the Netherlands, Yixing City and Shaoxing City in China, and Bangkok City in Thailand, as well as 2 organizations including UNESCO. Notably, Pakistan's Minister of Science and Technology, the deputy mayors of Leeuwarden in the Netherlands, Mikkeli in Finland, and Shaoxing City in China will participate online.

The event will begin with a keynote speech by Shabaz Khan, UNESCO's Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, emphasizing the importance of intercity cooperation for water security. It will highlight the actual water issues faced by Yixing City in China and Bangkok City in Thailand, which are experiencing severe water problems. According to Daegu City, by sharing various solutions based on the experiences and technologies of participating cities, the event aims to resolve the water issues of these two cities while providing an opportunity to strengthen cooperation among the participating cities.

Additionally, Daegu City will hold an online 'Youth Water Talk Concert' at 2 p.m. on the 23rd, with about 700 students from Seonghwa Middle School participating, to effectively promote the importance of water and Daegu City's water industry policies.

The '6th International Water Industry Conference,' an international academic event for the water industry aiming to activate the National Water Industry Cluster and establish a global platform for business creation among industry, academia, research, and government, will also be held online and offline at EXCO from the 22nd to the 23rd.

Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin stated, "In the current global crisis caused by COVID-19, cooperation between nations and cities is more important than ever," adding, "Daegu City plans to actively promote overseas cooperation projects and revitalize the National Water Industry Cluster in the future."

Meanwhile, although the 'Korea International Water Week (KIWW) 2020' was canceled due to the resurgence of COVID-19, the online exhibition hall will operate from the 28th until the end of the year.