An Istanbul perspective on regional water problems and search for solutions : outcomes of the second Istanbul International Water Forum 3-5 may 2011

The 2nd Istanbul International Water Forum will focus on the water-related issues of the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Turkey. The focal regions of the 2nd Istanbul International Water Forum were selected in accordance with the framework of the 5th World Water Forum's In and Around Turkey sub-region. Through a number of preparatory meetings held in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, the Mediterranean and Turkey, the In and Around Turkey sub-region provided a platform for the regional stakeholders to address region-specific water challenges and enhanced the collaboration among the stakeholders in the region to maximize the regional contribution to the 5th World Water Forum. The 2nd Istanbul International Water Forum aims to continue the momentum and widen the scope of the In and Around Turkey sub-region and ensure that the water-related issues of this region are better represented at the ensuing World Water Forum. Instead of a conventional top-down approach, the programme of the Istanbul International Water Forum is shaped in accordance with the stakeholder recommendations collected through a series of Regional Special Focus Meetings held prior to the Forum. The Regional Special Focus Meetings will aim to gather a group of prominent international and regional water professionals, representatives of international organizations and civil society around the table to gather their suggestions and opinions about the water-related issues of their respective regions they deem most important to be discussed at the 2nd Istanbul International Water Forum. A Regional Special Focus Meeting will be held for each of the Forum's focal regions. The outcomes of these meetings will provide valuable input in the process of shaping the Forum's content. [authors abstract]