HWP has been cooperating with ASEM Water since the beginning. It took part in the preparation of the 4th profressional event in 2020. For this year’s 5th seminar HWP developed the concept and acted as co-organizer. In this respect it is our pleasure that Mr. Péter Kovács, Water Director of Hungary had accepted the invitation to give a welcome speech at the online event. Furthermore, HWP President Dr. Károly Kovács is going to chair the first plenary session and give a presentation about investment needs in water and wastewater infrastructure and inevitability of horizontal and vertical solidarity in fulfilling SDG 6.

About ASEM Water

On 4 and 5 October 2010, the Eighth ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Summit (ASEM 8) was hosted by Belgium in Brussels. Chinese then Premier Wen Jiabao proposed to establish ASEM Water Resources Research and Development Center (hereinafter referred to as “ASEMWater”) in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. It was established with a view to promoting sustainable development in Asia and Europe through S&T collaboration and capacity improvement in water resources management. The initiative was welcomed by ASEM members and recorded in the “Advance on the Path of Sustainable Development” section of the Chair’s Statement as one of the important deliverables of the Summit.

Based on the principles of equality, opening-up and mutual benefits, ASEM Water is officially founded in 2011 in the framework of ASEM. Being a regional organization specializing in science and technology cooperation and a public non-profit international organization, the ASEM Water expects to unite related governments, universities, institutions and high-tech enterprises. On one hand, ASEMWater is to strengthen regional collaborations and facilitate the establishment of a long-term partnership among Asia-Europe water resources research institutes; it is to develop research and innovative network and create synergies through joint research, technical exchange, technology transfer, diffusion and demonstration, personnel exchange and training, capacity building, sharing of share best practice and data, etc., in a bid to jointly address common concerns about water use and water environment governance. On the other hand, it is to submit policy recommendations and technical consultations to ASEM as well as Asian-European states and governments on sustainable water use and integrated management, strategic planning and action plans, and etc.

ASEM Water Seminar (hereinafter referred to as the “Seminar”) is the continuation of event series of ASEM Water to deepen the sustainable management of water resources. It is held every two years, and the first three Seminars were held in Changsha. In 2018, ASEM Water, in joint hands with Hungarian Water Association and other partners, successfully hosted the 3rd Seminar in Budapest, Hungary, and achieved desirable effects. The Seminar has always been committed to serving the sustainable development of water resources and solving common problems of water resources for ASEM members.

The aim of the Seminar is to establish an international multi-stakeholder forum and network on sustainable water management from a European and Asian perspective, providing opportunities to discuss the challenges and best practices, exchange experiences, and seek solutions. The event is aimed to examine how the governance, the R&D activities, the education and the cooperation-partnership can contribute to addressing these declared water challenges. The Seminar fosters dialogues among the governments, private sector, academia, and the civil societies from Europe and Asia in the field of integrated and sustainable water  management. By putting emphasis on the implementation of innovation for sustainability in the real-world venues of cities, industry, and agriculture, the Seminar will share perspectives and encourage collaboration among the many stakeholders who play a role in how we use water— such as municipalities, industrial users, agriculture, policy-makers, regulators, environmental and social organizations, equipment and technology suppliers, consultants, researchers and academicians, financial institutions, and underserved populations, and etc. A key goal of the Seminar will be to develop recommendations and action plans designed to support collaborative efforts among the stakeholders who play a role in the path from supporting sustainability concepts to implementing sustainable practices.