Japan Water Forum, Korea Water Forum, and Komib Indonesia jointly hosted the “Youth Water Forum Asia 2025” (YWFA2025)*, an international exchange event focused on water, on September 19-20, 2025, in Jakarta, Indonesia. Approximately 350 participants attended the event, including Indonesian high school students as well as representatives from government agencies, companies, NGOs, and educational institutions. The forum provided a platform for young people to address water challenges from their unique perspectives and share the importance of water issues with diverse stakeholders.

^{*”Youth Water Forum Asia” is part of the “Youth Water Forum” program, which began after the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit held in Kumamoto City in April 2022. Building on the “Youth Water Forum Asia” held in Kumamoto in November 2023, and Republic of Korea in November 2024. This year’s event continued efforts to foster youth engagement and international exchange on water issues.}

A total of 11 high school students from Japan, Korea, and Indonesia took the stage to present the water-related challenges in their regions and the innovative solutions they are working on, aiming to promote cooperation on both global and local water issues. Four students from two schools represented Japan at the event, having been selected through the “Youth Water Forum 2024 Video Submission” program: Hokkaido Kitami Hokuto High School and Ishikawa Prefectural Kanazawa Nishikigaoka High School. These students presented their initiatives in English to an audience.

Feedback from participating students included:

• “I was surprised to learn how awareness and challenges related to water differ by country.”
• “I struggled to figure out how to communicate effectively during my presentation.”
• “I was moved that our activities were shared and recognized internationally.”
• “I was impressed by the technical skills of students from other countries.”

The event fostered diverse perspectives and facilitated the creation of new exchange networks that transcend regions and cultures. The Japan Water Forum plans to continue hosting such events moving forward to expand opportunities for youth engagement.

Overview

• Name: Youth Water Forum Asia 2025 (YWFA2025)
• Date: September 19–20, 2025
• Venue: Jakarta, Indonesia
• Organizers: Japan Water Forum, Korea Water Forum, Komib Indonesia
• Participants: Japan, Korea, Indonesia

High School Student Presentations

Presentations by Japanese High School Students

• Hokkaido Kitami Hokuto High School: Water quality survey of the Tokoro River and biotope conservation activities, along with research on “activated water” to control the spread of invasive algae Spirogyra.
• Ishikawa Prefectural Kanazawa Nishikigaoka High School: Development and demonstration of a Mini-Hydropower Generation Device that can be installed on rivers and waterways and used even during disasters.

Presentations by Korean High School Students

• Korean Minjok Leadership Academy (KMLA)
  • TEAM 1: Development of an atmospheric water harvesting device using MOFs (Metal Organic Frameworks). Prototyping and testing a device capable of multiple water collection cycles without external power.
  • TEAM 2: Water purification and fertilizer application using Magnetic Alginate Beads (MABs). Development of beads made from seaweed-derived components to adsorb and remove heavy metals and microplastics.

Presentations by Indonesian High School Students

• Komib Indonesia：
  • Presentation on Prototyping of an Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG)
  • Presentation on an organic soap-making workshop utilizing water hyacinth
  • Presentation on Reuse of waste cooking oil
  • Presentation on Proposal for countermeasures against land subsidence in Jakarta and technologies for water quality improvement.

Keynote Speech

In the afternoon, a keynote speech was delivered by Mrs. Retno L. P. Marsudi, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water.

The speech conveyed the following messages:

Water is life, and there is no life without water.
Youth are not the leaders of tomorrow. They are the leaders of today.

Furthermore, three actions were urged for young people:

1. Utilize technology and AI to contribute to solving water-related issues.
2. Raise your voice and take action, reflecting local needs and prioritizing vulnerable communities.
3. Strengthen intergenerational dialogue by inheriting knowledge and experience from previous generations and working together to address challenges.

The speech concluded with the statement: The future of water is in your hands.

Panel Discussion

The panel discussion featured Ms. Yuana Rochma Astuti, Director of Digital Content at the Indonesian Ministry of Creative Economy, along with representatives from companies and NGOs, who discussed “Collaboration and the Role of Youth in Addressing Water Challenges”.

Ms. Yuana Rochma Astuti highlighted the need to improve youth water literacy and promote local innovation, introducing awareness initiatives through social media and educational games, as well as startup support programs.

The representative from MODENA pointed out the lack of access to safe drinking water and inefficiencies in water resource management, emphasizing the importance of improving water supply infrastructure and mobilizing youth through social media.

The representative from Kitabisa showcased environmental conservation activities through crowdfunding, stressing that small actions can create a ripple effect leading to significant change.

The Japan Water Forum emphasized the need to share knowledge across Asia, leveraging Japan’s experience in responding to water-related disasters.

Panelists shared inspiring messages such as: “Water is not a luxury, it is a human right.” and “Small actions can spread and lead to big changes.”

Links

• Report of YWFA 2024
• Report of YWFA in 2023
• Official Website of the Youth Water Forum

(Reported by Koutoku Takeishi, Manager)