What we do

Policy Recommendations

Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF)

The Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) is an independent and not-for-profit network organization. The objective is to raise the priority of tackling water security issues highlighted in the development agenda in the Asia-Pacific region in order to improve people’s livelihoods and the environment. The JWF has maintained a role as the Secretariat of the APWF since its establishment in 2006. Asia-Pacific Water Forum

Asia-Pacific Water Summit

The Asia-Pacific Water Summit (APWS）is the summit-level conference for top government leaders in the region, focusing on water issues and sustainable development, which is organized by the APWF and a host country government. The 4th APWS official website

Grass-roots Projects

JWF Fund

The Japan Water Forum Fund (JWF Fund) was founded in 2005 and is solely operated by JWF. The JWF Fund aims to contribute to solving local water-related issues in developing countries by assisting the implementation of sustainable solutions led by grass-roots organizations.
Every year, the JWF publicly seeks out projects to assist and provides grants up to 1,500USD per project adopted after due assessment. We value the projects which utilize local resources, knowledge and technologies, and establish a sustainable operation and maintenance scheme .

During the past 17 years, the JWF Fund supported 189 projects in 32 countries, benefiting more than 260,000 people. (As of September, 2022)
The JWF Fund is made up of JWF membership fees of the JWF members and general donations.

Kyoto World Water Grand Prize

The Kyoto World Water Grand Prize (“the Grand Prize”) is the prestige international award that recognizes grass-roots organizations of developing countries for their outstanding accomplishment in solving water issues to encourage and seek future development of their activities. The Grand Prize was established in 2003 by the City of Kyoto and the World Water Council in commemoration of the 3rd World Water Forum held in Kyoto, Japan. Since then, the Grand Prize has been awarded at the time of the World Water Forum convened every three years. Since the 4th Grand Prize in 2015, Japan Water Forum has also been engaged as a co-organizer.

Laureates of the Past Prizes

1st Edition, 2006 Prize Winner: Gram Vikas　(India)
2nd Edition, 2009 Prize Winner: Watershed Organization Trust　(India)
3rd Edition, 2012 Prize Winner: Katosi Women Development Trust (Uganda)
4th Edition, 2015 Pirze Winner: Environment and Public Health Organization (Nepal)
Project Title; Support School for Improved Learning (SUSIL) Project See more
5th Edition, 2018 Prize Winner: Charité Chrétienne pour Personnes en Détresse (Togo)

4℃ AQUA PROGRAM

Conducted by YONDOSHI HOLDINGS INC. and the Japan Water Forum since 2008. The programs are implemented in developing countries where gender roles related to water and sanitation problem have remained.

Darvish Yu Water Fund

Darvish Yu, a member of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball established the “Darvish Yu Water Fund” in collaboration with the Japan Water Forum in March 2007 to supply safe water to people who face lack and contamination of water in developing countries. He contributes to the Fund by donating JPY 100,000 at every one of his winning games during the regular season. Total amount of contribution from Darvish Yu (171 winning in Japan and USA) and donation from individuals who approve the fund has reached over JPY 25,000,000 (As of 31th of March, 2023).

Transmitting Japanese Knowhow to the World

Webinar Series

JWF Webinar Series

【Water in Japan: Lessons Learned from Failure】

• 1st JWF webinar May 28, 2021
  『Water in Japan: Lessons Learned from Failure』 Kotaro Takemura, Secretary General, Japan Water Forum
  https://www.waterforum.jp/en/news/18117/
• 2nd JWF webinar June 22, 2021
  『The long term investment in water related risk reduction』Mr. INOUE Tomoo, Director-General, Water and Disaster Management Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
  https://www.waterforum.jp/en/news/18254/
• 3rd JWF Webinar July 28 , 2021
  『Japan’s experience in on-site wastewater management』Mr. Kazushi Hashimoto, Advisor Japan Sanitation Consortium
  https://www.waterforum.jp/en/news/18331/

Participation in the World Water Forum

9th World Water Forum, Dakar

JWF at the 9th World Water Forum, Dakar
https://www.waterforum.jp/en/news/19228/

The 9th World Water Forum official website
https://www.worldwaterforum.org/en

Participation in the 9th World Water Forum Kick-Off Meeting
https://www.waterforum.jp/en/news/11717/

Water-related events

JWF participates various water relate events in Japan and abroad.

Flood Fighting Drill Tour

Flood Fighting Drill Tour 2019 https://www.waterforum.jp/en/news/11177/

NoWNET

The Northern Water Network (NoWNET) is a network of country level water partnerships in the industrialized countries for sharing knowledge, linking stakeholders, raising awareness and organizing meetings. The JWF has maintained a role as the Secretariat of the NoWNET since its establishment in 2004.

Outline

Background

Northern Water Network (NoWNET) was initiated by the World Water Council (WWC), the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and the Steering Committee of the 3rd World Water Forum, Japan during the 3rd World Water Forum and the Japan Water Forum (JWF) was identified as the secretariat of this initiative. It is a network of country level water partnerships in the industrialized countries for sharing knowledge, linking stakeholders, raising awareness and organizing meetings. The Northern Water Network collaborates with international organizations with similar or associated objectives.

Objectives

• Encourage the creation of country-level water partnerships in industrialized countries to deal with unresolved and emerging water issues within the countries and to provide “windows” through which the countries water sector interfaces with the international water community
• Facilitate the development of networks among industrialized countries exchange experiences and good practices of water resources and services management and interact with partnerships in developing countries
• Bring water issues in industrialized countries to the World Water Forums and other global events to be discussed in multi-stakeholder sessions and to be presented to politicians and decision-makers

Roles and Function

• Participate in activities to share knowledge, promote good water management practices and develop networking among non-partners
• Facilitate and support the formation of additional country-level water partnerships and their inter linking with each other
• Co-ordinate and collaborate as appropriate in connection with bilateral linkages between partnerships in the North and the South

Contact： Japan Water Forum c/o NoWNET Secretariat
E-mail：office-info[at]waterforum.jp（Please change [at] to @）

Members

• Global Water Partnership (GWP)
• World Water Council (WWC)
• Denmark：Danish Water Forum (DWF)
• Japan *Secretariat：Japan Water Forum (JWF)
• The Netherlands：Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP)
• Sweden：Swedish Water House (SWH)
• Korea：Korea Water Forum (KWF)
• France：French Water Partnership (FWP)
• Finland：Finnish Water Forum (FWF)
• Portugal：Portuguese Water Partnership (PWP)
• Switzland：Swiss Water Partnership (SWP)

Capacity Development and Awareness Raising

Youth Water Forum

Youth Water Forum is inviting young people from all over the world to create and submit videos related to water for the development of global human resources. There is no restriction on the contents of the videos as long as they contain water-related themes, such as the role of water in everyday life, water research, volunteer work, traditional events, or international exchange activities related to water.

◆Application information
・Participants must be aged 15 to 18 at the time of application.
・Application period is from 1 June 2022 through 23:59 on 23 December 2022 (JST).
・Click here for the flyer of Youth Water Forum 2022