The 1st and 2nd World Water Forums have prepared the ground on which we have built a new orientation, the World Water Vision. In our efforts to act on the various elements proposed in the World Water Vision as the 21st century unfolds, we must face the fact that the world's water problems have yet to be resolved. The world's water-scarce countries may look enviously at some countries in Asia and elsewhere with abundant water resources such as Japan.
Japan is a good example of the Asian water experience.
Population growth, burgeoning urbanization and the resulting expansion of agricultural exploitation are all dependent on water. These processes can also be a causal factor contributing to water-related hazards in the form of floods and droughts. Japan has grappled with this dynamic resource for centuries, and the struggle is continuing today in an ongoing search for more sophisticated water management and water control techniques. By the year 2025, everybody in the world is to know the importance of hygiene and have access to an adequate safe water supply and sanitation. The 3rd World Water Forum inherits the determined spirit of the two earlier forums.