The 10th World Water Forum (10^th WWF) was held in Bali, Indonesia from 18 to 24 May, 2024, under the theme "Water for Shared Prosperity". 

The World Water Forum is currently the largest international water event in the world, initiated by the World Water Council and held every three years, with the aim of implementing the resolutions of the international community on water and sustainable development and promoting exchanges and cooperation among countries in the sustainable use of water resources. This year’s World Water Forum was jointly hosted by the World Water Council and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, with 11 representatives at the level of heads of State attending the opening ceremony or delivering speeches, and more than 50,000 people from more than 160 countries around the world attending the meeting. 

The Forum hosted 279 sessions, including plenary meetings, senior leadership dialogue sessions, seminar on the political process, thematic sessions, special sessions, regional process sessions and various intersect meeting and stocktaking sessions, a water exhibition with 254 exhibitors. A Ministerial Declaration was also adopted additionally. Furthermore, the Hassan II World Water Prize and the Kyoto Water Prize 2024 were awarded at the opening and closing ceremonies, respectively.

Jing Peng, President of the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR), Director of the International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES), led the team to participate in the 10th World Water Forum. During the Forum, IWHR for the first time acted as the leader of “Water Security and Prosperity” sub-theme “Water Insecurity and Development” (T1E) of the World Water Forum, and coordinated three Topic Sessions. IWHR also co-hosted or co-organized seven sessions or side events, especially the successful promotion of “River Ethics and China’s Practice” in the issue session co-hosted with UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP). Bilateral exchanges with international organizations and water-related institutions including: International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID); Asia Water Council (AWC); Rural Development Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan; Office of the National Water Resources of Thailand. Signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the University of Brawijaya, Indonesia. Scientific and technological innovations at the China Pavilion. Young experts won prizes in the Forum’s short video competition for young people. A number of experts made presentations and discussion statements in the topic sessions or side meetings, and actively publicized the innovative achievements and new understandings in water management science and technology, and told the Chinese story in the international arena.

UNESCO played an important role at the 10^th World Water Forum through its Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and the United Nations World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), where it also set up an exhibition stand as a conference and event space for the presentation of information materials, key publications, virtual exhibition, and posters, etc., which allowed for sharing and networking among members of UNESCO’s water family and its partners, especially the UNESCO category 2 centers and chairs. As the first UNESCO category 2 center, IRTCES participated in the exhibition.