4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit“Water for Sustainable Development - Best Practices and the Next Generation
Youth message to the closing ceremony
This declaration is a Call to Action that reflects our concerns and embodies our aspiration for sustainable,
resilient, and inclusive focused solutions on water as we move towards the mid-term review of the decade ofAction on Water. The theme for this Summit is “Water for Sustainable Development - Best Practices and the Next Generation”
and within the theme itself, it speaks to the importance of young people and future generations. A sustainable
future will not be possible without the meaningful inclusion of youth at the forefront of accelerated
transformation and action in the region. As the world moves toward the recovery from the global pandemic and simultaneously moves ahead to meet
the targets of the 2030 Agenda, we call for Member States to adopt an intersectional, non- discriminatory, andparticipatory approach, that adopts meaningful youth engagement and fosters youth leadership, so we cancollectively address the issues that affect water management in the region. There have been many lessons learned throughout the pandemic, one of which is the vital role that water
plays in the recovery process and that this region will continue to be affected by the impacts of climate change
as experienced through water extremes, flood, droughts and sea level rise, which in turn affect health, foodand the economic sectors. We also want to acknowledge the importance of the efforts that civil society andyoung people have played in the response to the COVID pandemic and help communities recover and buildresilience. The Asia Pacific region is home to 60% of the global youth population, making it the most youthful region and itis time to make the most of this valuable resource. Cross-cutting interventions through multi-stakeholder
models require additional resources to support the necessary additional dialogue, planning and coordination.
Successful examples on the ground, such as the Youth for Water and Climate programme, Young Professionals
Programmes in water organizations and Youth for Asia, have demonstrated the resourcefulness, speed and costeffectiveness of working with youth. Institutionalizing an approach across levels to address water security andresilience is necessary to deliver on the water for all vision.The pillars of this conference has been to promote inclusion , maintain sustainability in order to build
resilience in the Region. To do this three areas of focus were identified: governance, science and technology
and finances.
We the youth, ask the member states to consider the following: -On Governance:
The creation of formalized pathways for youth to be included in water governance processes at local, nationaland regional levels. --Ensuring meaningful engagement of all youth in policy, decision-making and monitoring related toclimate change, leaving no one behind. This can be achieved by investing in their capacity building andensuring representation of their voices at the local and national level or by creating youth committees
for climate change.
Also, training for government and other actors on how to meaningfully work with young people;
providing safe spaces and resources to support youth-led governance activities-

On Science and Technology:- Youth must be empowered to provide solutions and demonstrate their expertise in specific areas,
especially in technology, innovation, and data. This can be done through research opportunities andtechnical support for youth-led projects - Youth centered interventions and opportunities, such as paid internships, work placements, youth
leadership and business training, early career development opportunities and youth oriented
entrepreneurship skills development programmes, must also be encouraged so that they can mobilize
their skills and knowledge.- Also, encourage the cultivation of young water professionals. Provision of mentorship opportunities
to young professionals - especially those with strong interest in water.On Finances:- To promote direct investment in the priority issues that affect young people, including youth initiatives
and enterprises, youth organizations, and in productive sectors and activities that benefit them most.- Use public-private partnership as a tool for decent growth in the economy.- Address barriers impeding young water entrepreneurs from accessing capital, financial knowledge andnetworks.Youth play a significant role in promoting an inclusive, sustainable and resilient society in Asia and the Pacific.
Youth should be seen as valuable partners in promoting water security in the region. This would entail
adopting positive attitudes toward working with young people as equal partners; creating safe and conducivespaces for young people to engage in decision-making processes and lead initiatives; and involving them every
step of the way. -