The 8th edition of the King Hassan II Great World Water Prize will be held on May 18, 2024, in Bali, under the theme “Water Security in Territories for Sustainable Development and Food Security.”
The Ministry of Equipment and Water announced that the King Hassan II Great World Water Prize, created in 2002 and awarded for the first time at the 3rd World Water Forum in Japan in 2003, will be presented for its 8th edition in Bali during the opening ceremony of the 10th World Water Forum.
The ministry added that this year’s Forum aims to answer several recurrent questions, such as: “How should water resources be managed to ensure water security and food sovereignty?” and “How can sustainable management of water resources, particularly groundwater resources, be promoted and implemented to conserve ecosystems and preserve water quality and availability for food production?”
The Forum will also focus on other issues that arise, notably “How can reducing food waste, promoting sustainable diets and awareness-raising strategies contribute to tackling water scarcity?” and “How can technologies, innovation, and investments guarantee food security and sovereignty, given the scarcity of water resources and in a context of increasing competition between different water uses?”
This year’s edition of the Form will also try to answer the question “How can water and agricultural policies support and reinforce each other to achieve water security and food sovereignty objectives for shared prosperity?”
According to the Moroccan Ministry’s press release, application procedures and further information on the 8th edition of this Prize are available on the official websites of the Ministry of Equipment and Water (http://www.equipement.gov.ma/) and the World Water Council (https://www.worldwatercouncil.org/).
The Ministry stressed that applications will be received via the platform: www.hassan2gwwp.org, noting that the application deadline is September 30.
The Ministry further noted that The King Hassan II Great World Water Prize is a joint initiative between Morocco and the World Water Council in memory of the Late His Majesty King Hassan II for his enlightened and strategic vision of integrated and sustainable water resources protection and management and his actions in support of international cooperation.
Under the theme “Cooperation and Good Management in the Development and Use of Water Resources,” Hassan II Great World Water Prize is awarded to a person, group of people, institution, or organization that has significantly contributed to the fields of development and use of water resources, at a scientific, economic, technical, environmental, social, institutional, cultural, or political level.
The prize is awarded triennially at the World Water Forum during a special ceremony held as part of the opening plenary session, during which the winner receives USD 500K, a trophy, and a certificate.
After Kyoto in 2003, Hassan II Great World Prize was awarded in Mexico City in 2006, Istanbul in 2009, Marseille in 2012, Daegu-Gyeongbuk in 2015, Brasilia in 2018, and Dakar in 2022.