Abstract of the Forum (Saturday, August 2, 2008)

Following the opening address given by Mr. Satoshi Iue, Representative Director of the Asia Pacific Forum, Awaji Conference Japan, the discussion session in the first half of the Forum was led by Mr. Toshiharu Kojiri, Professor of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute and Director of the Water Resources Research Center at Kyoto University.

To start things off, Mr. Eiichi Nakakita, Professor of the Division of Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Disasters at the Disaster Prevention Research Institute of Kyoto University, who coordinated the presentations of the current situation in Asia regions in the previous day's Symposium, gave a summary report of the Symposium. This made all the participants able to share a common understanding before taking part in the discussions.

After a break was the second half of the Forum where discussions were led by Mr. Toshihiro Minohara, Professor of the Graduate School of Law at Kobe University. Mr. Shigeyuki Abe, Professor of the Faculty of Policy Studies at Doshisha University first recapitulated the main points of the discussions held so far. Following this was an overview of the current situation in the Middle East relating to water resources by Mr. Setsuzo Kosaka, External Director of JGC Corporation. After that, the members, guests, and lecturers each participated in discussions from their respective expert viewpoints.

To conclude the two days of the Awaji Conference, Mr. Makoto Iokibe, President of the National Defense Academy of Japan and Professor Emeritus of Kobe University, presented the main points of the Awaji Conference Statement. He stated how the growing population of the world and the accompanying rise in production has increased water consumption, which is placing stress on the balance of water supply and demand. He said the issue of water resources is now a globally serious problem with a breadth that does not allow for solutions by just one municipality or nation state. Mr. Iokibe stressed that the issue of dealing with water is now at the stage of requiring regional, national, and global governance, that the resolution of water resource issues calls on the societal use of knowledge and technology, that we are forced to recognize the importance of going beyond river basins, beyond national borders, to share that expertise and cooperate with each other. It was agreed that the Awaji Conference Statement would be prepared on the basis of these main points and would be announced at a later time. The approximately 45 participants of the Forum gave their consent and approval, and the Forum was adjourned.