December 1–5, 2014, in Douai, France, the 12th World Youth Parliament for Water was conducted and got together young people and activists dealing with water issues in European region.

Participants of the event were 32 young people aged from 18 to 25, who represented 17 European countries: Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Kosovo, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.

The main current water problems of Europe were discussed by young water activists at the 12th World Youth Parliament for Water. In the framework the event, special seminars were organized to discuss 4 themes: 1. Access to water and sanitation in Europe, 2. Energy and resource conservation, combine request and resource protection through the concept of NEXUS; 3: Protection of biodiversity and human activities: the case of climate changes; 4. ideas for a better conservation and use of water resources.

Content of special seminars of the 12th World Youth Parliament for Water was the following:

Theme 1: Access to water and sanitation in Europe

Access to drinking water is the ability to access steadily to a minimum amount of water, and to a water of quality (which has no risk for the health).

Access to sanitation is the ability of everyone to have access to safe sanitation, in terms of hygiene, in terms of location, and close to where people live. Sanitation also includes the collection of waste, transportation, treatment and disposal.

Polluted water and lack of sanitation are the direct cause of diseases affecting the health of millions of people and are factors of social inequalities. Energy and energy supply. Nexus project.

Theme 2: Energy and resource conservation. Combine request and resource protection through the concept of NEXUS

All human activities are based on the availability and use of water, energy and raw materials (especially agricultural food). Water is required directly or indirectly for the production of energy. In the same time, energy production has an impact on the quality and availability of water resources for other uses. Water and energy are also essential for agriculture that also has an impact on both.

Sustainable and joint management of these resources is a necessity in a context where the pressure on resources is growing, with the economic and demographic developments, but especially under the effects of climate change.

A good resource management must take into account all economic activities (domestic and industrial uses, tourism, transport, commercial, agriculture, environment and energy), but also take into account their impact on the environment.

It is for this reason that the NEXUS concept was developed.

“The Nexus approach aims to inform decision-making and guide the development of relevant policies to the Nexus, including helping countries to develop strategies and programs to implement a participatory manner.”

Theme 3: Protection of biodiversity and human activities: the case of climate changes

The demand for water, space, food and consummation goods doesn’t stop increasing. The actions of human beings (overfishing, by catch, the urbanisation of coastal and riparian areas and the climate changes...) threaten terrestrial biodiversity, so that all the world’s ecosystems are threatened.

It is primordial to find a balanced way to live together because of the richness of these ecosystems and because of the services they provide to men.

Theme 4: Ideas for a better conservation and use of water resources. The 3R principle

The 3R principle was invented for waste management but is now implemented in different themes of environment, including water resources protection. In this workshop we look at the current situation of different resources and evaluate the changes that we notice. We indicate differences between countries and compare good practices through the examples the participants will bring/. Technical aspects are being discussed.

The workshop consists of a knowledge game between groups to begin with. After the knowledge is gathered we get a closer look on the specific situations in the different countries with the maps brought by the participants. The 3R principle is clarified through discussion in small groups, the assignment is to order the pictures on a scale of importance. Situate your personal example and discuss the relevance.

Goal: How to implement the 3R principle in water resources management. Identifying stakes of the youngsters and create input for the declaration.  

Reduce: avoid water consumption

Reuse: reuse water within a singular processor or use harvested water for another purpose = without treatment

Recycle: use harvested water for another purpose = after treatment

Link to the World Youth Parliament for Water: www.pmje-wypw.org

The Final Declaration of the Parliament of the 3-days event was prepared as a result of an event. This Declaration contained five the most important solutions for each discussed issues.

Volunteer of UNENGO MAMA-86, Dmytro Perov, represented Ukraine at the Parliament in Douai. Furthermore, his proposition according organization special exhibitions of new technologies for water supply and sanitation was included to the Final Declaration of the 12th World Youth Parliament for Water.

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Since 2012, the World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW) is a youth network coordinated by the International Secretariat for Water (ISW) that acts to defend the importance of water at a local and international level. These young people, conduct their efforts toward advocacy in order to reach the decision makers, awareness, local actions, networking and communication.

The World Youth Parliament for Water was formally established at the 6th World Water Forum in Aix-en-Provence in March 2012. 85 young people aged 18 to 23 years, from the five continents represented the youth and held their solutions to Marseille through a Charter and a Declaration. Labialised by the organizers of the Forum, under the auspices of the Agency of Water Artois-Picardie, the WYPW was coordinated by the ISW and SWE in partnership with other water and youth stakeholders: Green Belgium, the International Scheldt Commission, Protos, the Water Ambassadors and Oxyo Water.

Through education and information to water issues, as well as education for citizenship and democracy, the European Youth Parliaments for Water (EYPW) aim to promote commitment and action of the youth for water, and encourage its participation in water policy.

Through workshops, exchanges, visits, the EYPW also strengthen ties and cooperation between young people, politicians, experts and local stakeholders.

Moreover, these parliaments also contribute to individual training of young people:

• acquisition or enhancement of skills in speaking and argumentation in working groups, in front of the media and the authorities;

• commitments and responsibilities;

• knowledge of different languages and cultures, etc…

At the local level, because of the support of projects involving youth, the EYPW encourage the strengthening of youth structures (school clubs, youth groups, volunteer centers, local councils, local parliaments, etc.) and the dissemination of the declarations, commitments and recommendations coming from the Parliaments (press conferences, celebrations in schools, local and national events, etc.).

At the European level they help to strengthen the presence of young people in European and international conferences, their messages and vision. They also promote the realization of joint projects by young people (type “European campaigns”, participation in day-events “Danube Day”, “World Water Day”, etc.). In addition, these meetings allow to establish new friendships, solidarity exchanges between groups, or cooperation projects.

The EYPW are organized since 15 years, the first one having taken place in 1999, in Espalion, in France. The following in Hungary, Malta, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Romania, Moldova, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, and finally in Armenia. Each of them focusing on specific themes related to water (solidarity upstream / downstream, access to water and sanitation in rural areas, water and climate change, water governance...).

Young activists of UNENGO “MAMA-86” took part in EYPW since 2003 and participated in the EYPW and World Youth PW, the first MAMA-86’s youth delegation took part EYPW in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; in 2005 — in Galats in Romania, in 2005 — in Solidarity Water Week in Strasbourg, in 2006 — in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova; in 2008 — in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia, in 2012 — in 6^th World Water Forum in Marseille, France.