GLOBAL WATER ISSUES AND THE WORLD-WATER-COUNCIL

The key events and the process that led to the creation of the World W ater Council on World Water Day 1996 are reviewed and its characterist ics summarized. The development of this new organization is discussed in the context of the major global trends in water and water-related i ssues, viz, growing water scarcity with its links to limits on food pr oduction and demographic patterns. In response to the need to find sol utions to these pressing water issues, the development of a Technical Program based on the deliberations of the founding member organization s and a number of short-term activities have been outlined to demonstr ate the evolution of the Council in this first year of its existence. Given the importance of complementarity between the Council and the Gl obal Water Partnership, an attempt has been made to articulate the mut ually-reinforcing roles of the two organizations.