IWC 2023 - Regional Cooperation in Addressing Water Arsenic & Contamination Issues

Croatia, Serbia, and Hungary will continue their joint efforts in removing arsenic and other harmful substances from water, as concluded at the International Water Conference (IWC 2023 Osijek) held last weekend in Osijek, Croatia.

The Governors of Rotary District 1913 - Croatia, Ivan Miškulin, 2483 - Serbia and Montenegro, Nikola Božić, and 1911 - Hungary, Laslo Reti, have signed a Declaration of Cooperation, committing themselves to focus on improving water quality in the Pannonian Basin in the coming years, as well as actively participating in global water-related projects.

This decision stems from the International Water Conference - IWC 2023 Osijek, where experts, researchers, and decision-makers highlighted the challenges associated with arsenic and other harmful substances in the water.

The President of the Organizing Committee of IWC 2023, Dragan Dabić, stated that this year's conference "provided a deeper insight into the problems we face, especially in the Pannonian Basin."

"Presented were innovative, feasible, sustainable, locally usable, technological and financial solutions targeting purification, monitoring and water resource management. We hope and believe that challenges can be overcome and that we can ensure clean and safe water where it is currently lacking," said Dabić.

He added that the conference also addressed other aspects, including the right to water, the presence of water in tradition, culture, and religion and in the education of young people and professional leaders who will be able to solve water-related problems in the future.

As he mentioned, "A profound and moving moment of the conference was the exceptional presentation by Moses Keteko from the Rotaract Club Eco Warriors from Nairobi."

"Moses provided us with the foundation to start a project to improve access to drinking water and hygiene in Kenya. His words are the foundation of another common goal supported by the governors, the Rotary Global Grant in Kenya. It will give cleaner water and better health for the Masai community in Kenya," explained the President of the Organizing Committee of the IWC 2023 Conference.

The Water Conference (IWC 2023 Osijek) was in the framework of this year's conference of the Rotary District 1913 Croatia, with Christina Covotsou-Patroclou as the representative of the President of the International Rotary Organization.