'Water: H2O=Life' Exhibition
'Water: H2O=Life' Exhibition The World Water Forum, held every three years, is the world's largest international event dedicated to water. Participants from every region gather to discuss water issues, research results and experiences related to water. In 2009, the 5th World Water Forum was held in Istanbul, Turkey. The event drew more than 30,000 participants from 182 countries, including representatives from governments, international organizations and civil society. As part of its efforts to increase public understanding of the critical role of water in maintaining healthy communities and ecosystems, Every Drop Matters joined forces with the American Museum of Natural History to bring the interactive 'Water:H2O=Life' exhibition to the World Water Forum in Istanbul. The exhibition was recognized as an Official Side Event. To make the exhibition most relevant to the setting, UNDP and TCCC worked together to tailor the display to the Turkish setting. The exhibition was presented in both Turkish and English and information specific to water conditions in Turkey was highlighted. Istanbul Technical University hosted the exhibition and the Turkish Minister of Trade and Commerce, the CEO of The Coca-Cola Company and high-level UNDP officials attended its opening. A dedicated space in the exhibition displayed information on Every Drop Matters and its impacts. A second space provided a venue for the UNDP Water and Ocean Governance Programme to present information on its signature projects, including Cap-Net, the Water Governance Facility, MDG GoAL WaSH, the GEF International Waters Programme and Water Wiki. A panel of UNDP water governance experts shared information about their projects at a policy dialogue held as part of the 'Water: H2O=Life' opening.
At a glance: Water: H2O=Life Dates: 2008-2009 Partners: UNDP, TCCC, American Museum of Natural History. Budget: $600,000 Number of people reached: Approximately 54,000 people visited the 'Water: H2O=Life' exhibition in Istanbul.
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