Chairman Cho of the World City Water Forum,
Mayor Ahn of Incheon Metropolitan City,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very pleased to speak to you on this special occasion of the World City Water Forum 2009 held here in Incheon. I would like to thank Chairman Cho and Mayor Ahn for kindly inviting me to speak at this auspicious event.




On behalf of the government of the Republic of Korea, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to the distinguished speakers and participants, particularly to those foreign guests who have come a long way to attend this important meeting.



Today's forum is being held at a crossroads of global challenges, pronounced by the recent food, energy, climate and financial crises. These global challenges are all trans-boundary in nature and cannot be solved through the efforts of any one individual country, but require the concerted efforts of the global community. In fact, in an era of accelerated connectedness, we are reminded constantly of the necessity of a shared vision and policy coordination among countries. Every single issue that we confront today and every single policy we are implementing is affected by changes that occur beyond our domestic controls and national boundaries and water is no exception.
As the effects of climate change, urban concentration, rampant development and environmental pollution take their toll on global water resources, today we are living in a world where water, especially clean and safe water, is rapidly becoming scarce.

To compound the problem of water scarcity, water-related disasters such as tsunamis, floods, tropical storms, hurricanes, cyclones and droughts are occurring at higher severity and frequency as global warming changes our climate system at an unprecedented scale and speed.


Recognizing the growing threats against water security, the global community has been making various efforts to tackle the water issues of our time. Governments, businesses, and NGOs, including the World Water Council have not been idle in raising awareness and promoting collective action for improved water management to secure safe drinking water and mitigate the effects of water-related disasters.

While past efforts have produced useful guidelines for effective and sustainable management of water supplies, this is not enough as the world continues to use more and more water everyday to satisfy its developmental needs. We need to continue to work toward a more comprehensive and effective global cooperation for dealing with the water agenda and water-related disasters.

In this context, I firmly believe that today's forum will provide an excellent platform to further raise international awareness of the gravity and urgency of water-related problems and to encourage and promote responsible and sustainable water management practices.
Ladies and gentlemen,

As some of you may already know, personally, I have been heavily involved in the global issue of water. Not only do I continue to serve on the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation but am the Founding Chair of the UN High-level Expert Panel on Water and Disaster, which presented a very important action plan at the 5th World Water Forum. In these various capacities, I traveled extensively, meeting world leaders and urging them to address water issues as well as emphasizing the need for us to work together in order to effectively respond to these challenges threatening the very survival of humankind.

In the process, I witnessed, with much encouragement, a growing number of countries turning their focused attention toward climate and water issues and developing appropriate responses in order to tackle the challenges.

Unfortunately, the current level of efforts is not commensurate to the size and scope of the rapidly aggravating water situation of our time. As the effects of climate change are rapidly deteriorating the world water supplies, it is imperative that the global community come together to act boldly, decisively and without delay.


Right now, at this very moment, over 900 million people around the world, especially in parts of Africa and Asia, do not have access to safe drinking water. In fact, according to an estimate by the OECD, more than half of the human population will be living under severe water shortages by 2030 if no new policies are introduced to improve current water management practices.




Alarming changes in glacial geology, ice cores, surface temperatures and sea levels are also adding stress to global water supplies. As such, fresh water is fast becoming "blue gold," a commodity that can only be bought at a high price. Worse than the oil shock in the 1970s, "water shock" will bring dire consequences to all of us since without water we cannot survive.



Against this backdrop, it is high time for the global community to think about how to conserve, manage, and share this "blue gold" around the world. Indeed, water security and sustainable management of water resources have become such an important issue that it has become a major global agenda and the center of international political discussion. The World Water Forum has already held its fifth meeting in Istanbul this March and once again world leaders and water experts have gathered here in Incheon to exchange ideas and discuss ways to promote responsible and sustainable water management practices.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Taking this opportunity, I would like to reiterate that the Korean Government is fully committed to the on-going global efforts to deal with world water issues. Following President Lee Myung-bak's proclamation of Low Carbon, Green Growth as Korea's new national vision on August 15th last year on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Korea, the Korean Government launched the Green New Deal policy early in January this year to put this new vision into policy action.
An important part of the Green New Deal policy is to build fresh water infrastructure and to this end, the Korean Government is currently in the process of implementing the Four Major River Restoration Plan, the master plan of which was finalized just two months ago in June.

The Four Major River Restoration Plan is a 22.2 trillion won, roughly 17.8 billion US dollars, multi-purpose project aiming at securing sufficient water supplies, upgrading water quality, preventing damages and destruction from natural disasters as well as boosting regional economies including creating 280,000 new jobs.

Specifically, catchment basins, reservoirs and dams will be built to store up to 1.3 billion tons of fresh water to prepare against water shortages. An additional 900 million tons of water will be stored to control floods. Improved sewage processing plants, water treatment facilities as well as wetlands will also be built and restored to improve water quality and revive biodiversity. The areas surrounding the four major rivers will be transformed into large ecological parks.


In sum, the Korean Government aims to effectively respond to the issue of water crisis through the Four Major River Restoration Plan. By 2015, when Korea hopes to host the 7th World Water Forum, the Korean Government will have completed the project and ready to share with the world our experience in preventing, preparing for and managing fresh water supplies and water-related disasters.



Ladies and gentlemen,

Since time immemorial, water has been a fundamental part of human life. Human settlements were built around rivers and waterways which, with time, grew into towns and cities. Indeed, human civilization has historically flourished around major rivers such as the Yellow River in China, the Niles in Egypt, Euphrates and Tigris in Mesopotamia, and the Ganges and Indus in India.

The theme of today's forum is Innovation and Harmony of Water and Cities. Today, almost half of the world population lives in the cities. The ratio of global urbanization is projected to reach 60% by 2030 and this number is expected to grow as continued development and industrialization keep driving people into the cities. In this context, the role of the cities in developing projects and programs to deal with the issue of climate change and water management is crucial in our common efforts towards building a better, sustainable and prosperous future.

I am confident that this gathering held on the occasion of the "Environment Week" of the Global Fair and Festival 2009, will provide an excellent opportunity for the distinguished participants to exchange ideas and views on ways to increase cooperation on water issues. For the next four days, I ask you to share your valuable expertise, vision and wisdom in addressing the water challenges of our time. Your presentations and participation will be of great contribution to the on-going global efforts for sustainable management of water resources.


In closing, I wish every success of the World City Water Forum 2009. For our foreign guests, I most warmly welcome you again and wish you an enjoyable stay in Korea.