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1st Asia-Pacific Water Summit

Message from Beppu

We, the leaders of the Asia-Pacific, coming from all sectors of our societies and countries, meeting at the historic inaugural Asia-Pacific Water Summit, in the beautiful city of Beppu, in the hospitable Oita Prefecture of Japan, do hereby agree to:

  • Recognise the people s right to safe drinking water and basic sanitation as a basic human right and a fundamental aspect of human security;
  • Reduce by half the number of people who do not have access to safe drinking water by 2015 and aim to reduce that number to zero by 2025;
  • Reduce by half number of people who do not have access to basic sanitation in our region by 2015 and aim to reduce that number to zero by 2025, through the adoption of new and innovative sanitation systems that are not as water reliant as current methods;
  • Accord the highest priority to water and sanitation in our economic and development plans and agendas and to increase substantially our allocation of resources to the water and sanitation sectors,
  • Improve governance, efficiency, transparency and equity in all aspects related to the management of water, particularly as it impacts on poor communities. We recognise that while women are particularly vulnerable, they are also resilient and entrepreneurial, hence, should be empowered in all water-related activities.
  • Take urgent and effective action to prevent and reduce the risks of flood, drought and other water-related disasters and to bring timely relief and assistance to their victims;
  • Support the region s vulnerable small island states in their efforts to protect lives and livelihoods from the impacts of climate change;
  • Exhort the Bali Conference to take into account the relationship between water and climate change, such as the melting of snowcaps and glaciers in the Himalayas and rising sea levels, which are already having an impact on some countries in the region;
  • Establish concrete goals for the 2008 Toyako G8 Summit to:
    • commit to support the developing countries to achieve their MDG targets on water and sanitation; and
    • take immediate action to support adaptation to climate change by developing countries;
  • Empower a high-level coordinating mechanism in our cabinets and where possible, appoint a minister in charge of water to ensure that all issues related to water and sanitation would be dealt with in a holistic manner;
  • Respect and strengthen the region s rich history of water-centered community development, including the rehabilitation of urban waterways and protecting the environmental integrity of rural watersheds; and
  • Work together with other like-minded institutions, entities and individuals in order to achieve our collective vision of water security in the Asia-Pacific region.

We will support the Policy Brief as prepared by the Asia-Pacific Water Forum family.

We encourage all governments to make all efforts to implement its recommendations.

We have the will and courage to realise our vision.