King Hassan II Great World Water Prize 2018 Awarded To OECD
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been awarded the prestigious 6th King Hassan II Great World Water Prize for the key role it plays in promoting rational use of water and sustained development.
The $100,000 prize was handed over by Head of Moroccan Government Saâd-Eddine El Othmani to OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria during a ceremony held Monday in Brasilia, Brazil, on the occasion of the 8th World Water Forum.
About 100 candidates vied for this award, which was jointly established by Morocco and the World Water Council. It pays tribute to the memory of late King Hassan II, and to his strategic vision for his country’s sustainable integrated water resources management, in addressing the Kingdom’s water security.
Working towards creating global awareness and taking concrete measures to promote the cause of water is the underlying rationale behind the awarding of the King Hassan II Great World Water Prize, a world-renowned and prestigious policy tool.
The Prize is awarded every three years on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the World Water Forum. Falling within the overarching framework of “Cooperation and solidarity in the fields of management and development of water resources”, the Sixth Edition of the Great Prize was vied by candidates making contributions around the specific theme of “Working towards greater solidarity and inclusion in order to ensure water security and climate justice.”
The list of former winners of King Hassan II Great World Water Prize includes: Maman Abdou, social entrepreneur Tech Innov (Niger/2015), the Sahara and Sahel Observatory, independent international organization (Tunisia/2012), Abdulatif Youssef Al-Hamad, Director-General and Chairman of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (Kuwait/2009), Torkil Jønch Clausen, Development Director and CEO of DHI Water and Environment (Denmark/2006), while the 2003 prize was shared between Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, Minister of water resources and irrigation (Egypt) and Jerson Kelman, Chief Executive Officer of the national water agency (Brazil).
The World Water Council is an international multistakeholder platform organization whose mission is to mobilize action on critical water issues at all levels, including the highest decision-making level, by engaging people in debate and challenging conventional thinking. The Council focuses on the political dimensions of water security, adaptation and sustainability.
The World Water Council works towards increasing the awareness of high-level decision makers on water issues. It seeks to position water at the top of the global political agenda and to produce worldwide policies to help authorities develop and manage water resources and encourage efficient use of water.
