’Accessing clean water is every human’s right’
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Aslı Sağlam
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 17, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Klaus Töpfer, former Federal Minister for the Environment of Germany, is commissioned as the ambassador of the Fifth World Water Forum. According to Töpfer the mega city of Istanbul should learn to handle water problems
The 1st Istanbul Water Forum hosted many ministers and visitors last weekend in the newly built Sütlüce Cultural and Congress Center located in Golden Horn. One of the important names that participated in the preparatory forum was former Federal Minister for the Environment of Germany, Professor Dr. Klaus Töpfer.
After all the urges of the secretary general of the 5th World Water Forum, Dr. Oktay Tabasaran to cooperate with the forum team, he accepted to become the ambassador of the forum.
Discussing the concentration topics of the forum Ğ principles of water, the importance of water and solutions to water issues Ğ with Tabasaran, Töpfer agreed to be a helping hand in the forum. Although he was asked to work with them for the preparation process he did not want to overdo his workload because of his many responsibilities.
"It’s a pleasure for me to be working with the 5th World Water Forum secretariat," Töpfer said. He thinks hosting the forum is a unique opportunity. The responsibility of the secretariat is tough and it is a huge challenge to organize a forum of this magnitude.
"The country has centuries-old techniques of handling water and infrastructures of water but on the other side it suffers from the management of water, handling water and the construction of dams."
Troubled water management
Töpfer qualifies Istanbul as a mega city and one of the biggest populations of the world. Although the city still stands throughout the centuries, its water management is troubled. According to Töpfer it will be useful to have the event in Istanbul.
"Istanbul is like the base because it’s the best living examples to all the topics that will be discussed during the 5th World Water Forum, which will take place from March 16 to 22. The world will discuss how to handle water in an urban venue," Töpfer said.
Drawing attention to the Minister of Environment and Forestry Veysel Eroğlu’s speech at the 1st Istanbul Water Forum, where he said there were still people who did not have access to water, Töpfer said Istanbul would host world leaders to find outstanding ideas of how to overcome water problems.
"The region is dynamic and the Asian and Eastern regions are willing to find the solution from Turkey. People from all round the world are looking forward to attending the forum," Töpfer said, who gets excited when talking about the international event. According to him how well the secretariat prepared for the forum will show the importance they place on solving water issues.
One of the best characteristics of the forum is bringing together businesses, nongovernmental organizations, or NGO’s. A World Water Forum without the NGO’s would be a disaster, Töpfer said and added: "The world doesn’t consist of just governments."
Admitting that he was against NGO’s while he was a state minister, Töpfer said, once you look from outside, you have to give credit to them. "I am against the privatization of water," Töpfer said. The environment friendly Töpfer always supports the expression of criticism. According to him, having all those establishments creates a balance; the industry creates job opportunities, which also counts for other establishments. "If we hadn’t had all those establishments the world would be a disaster," Töpfer said.
NGO’s to advocate
NGO’s, who are self-understanding, are not capable of companies, as Töpfer said, the additional responsibility of NGO’s is to advocate. "They need to question the interests of the projects," Töpfer said. According to the former environment minister, sustainable development is not just environmental. States do not only rely on sustainable development, economical differences and social justice. At the end of the day those who are critical enables you to see different aspects of one situation, he said.
Töpfer expects a lively discussion, a controversy of ideas, a lively criticism at the forum, where people can discuss the negative and positive aspects. "People need to learn that the solution they offer is not a hundred percent the right solution in every case," he said.
He has attended each of the previous four World Water Forums, except the one in Mexico City in 2006.
Töpfer who introduced ground breaking environmental regulations and laws also initiated several laws to ban the use of environmentally harmful products. Known for his personal commitment to promote the environment and sustainable development, Töpfer said each person on this earth had the right to access water, just like air and sunlight. According to him the Turkish government has improved its management of water and if they had not, they would not have been able to host the 5th World Water Forum. Töpfer, who has worked in different fields at the United Nations, believes environmental policy is the peace policy of the future. He is now retired and has a summerhouse in Turkey.environmentalist
After all the urges of the secretary general of the 5th World Water Forum, Dr. Oktay Tabasaran to cooperate with the forum team, he accepted to become the ambassador of the forum.
Discussing the concentration topics of the forum Ğ principles of water, the importance of water and solutions to water issues Ğ with Tabasaran, Töpfer agreed to be a helping hand in the forum. Although he was asked to work with them for the preparation process he did not want to overdo his workload because of his many responsibilities.
"It’s a pleasure for me to be working with the 5th World Water Forum secretariat," Töpfer said. He thinks hosting the forum is a unique opportunity. The responsibility of the secretariat is tough and it is a huge challenge to organize a forum of this magnitude.
"The country has centuries-old techniques of handling water and infrastructures of water but on the other side it suffers from the management of water, handling water and the construction of dams."
Troubled water management
Töpfer qualifies Istanbul as a mega city and one of the biggest populations of the world. Although the city still stands throughout the centuries, its water management is troubled. According to Töpfer it will be useful to have the event in Istanbul.
"Istanbul is like the base because it’s the best living examples to all the topics that will be discussed during the 5th World Water Forum, which will take place from March 16 to 22. The world will discuss how to handle water in an urban venue," Töpfer said.
Drawing attention to the Minister of Environment and Forestry Veysel Eroğlu’s speech at the 1st Istanbul Water Forum, where he said there were still people who did not have access to water, Töpfer said Istanbul would host world leaders to find outstanding ideas of how to overcome water problems.
"The region is dynamic and the Asian and Eastern regions are willing to find the solution from Turkey. People from all round the world are looking forward to attending the forum," Töpfer said, who gets excited when talking about the international event. According to him how well the secretariat prepared for the forum will show the importance they place on solving water issues.
One of the best characteristics of the forum is bringing together businesses, nongovernmental organizations, or NGO’s. A World Water Forum without the NGO’s would be a disaster, Töpfer said and added: "The world doesn’t consist of just governments."
Admitting that he was against NGO’s while he was a state minister, Töpfer said, once you look from outside, you have to give credit to them. "I am against the privatization of water," Töpfer said. The environment friendly Töpfer always supports the expression of criticism. According to him, having all those establishments creates a balance; the industry creates job opportunities, which also counts for other establishments. "If we hadn’t had all those establishments the world would be a disaster," Töpfer said.
NGO’s to advocate
NGO’s, who are self-understanding, are not capable of companies, as Töpfer said, the additional responsibility of NGO’s is to advocate. "They need to question the interests of the projects," Töpfer said. According to the former environment minister, sustainable development is not just environmental. States do not only rely on sustainable development, economical differences and social justice. At the end of the day those who are critical enables you to see different aspects of one situation, he said.
Töpfer expects a lively discussion, a controversy of ideas, a lively criticism at the forum, where people can discuss the negative and positive aspects. "People need to learn that the solution they offer is not a hundred percent the right solution in every case," he said.
He has attended each of the previous four World Water Forums, except the one in Mexico City in 2006.
Töpfer who introduced ground breaking environmental regulations and laws also initiated several laws to ban the use of environmentally harmful products. Known for his personal commitment to promote the environment and sustainable development, Töpfer said each person on this earth had the right to access water, just like air and sunlight. According to him the Turkish government has improved its management of water and if they had not, they would not have been able to host the 5th World Water Forum. Töpfer, who has worked in different fields at the United Nations, believes environmental policy is the peace policy of the future. He is now retired and has a summerhouse in Turkey.environmentalist