REMARKS: Secretary General, Baron Divavesi Waqa, at the Australian Water Partnership Partners’ Workshop

Thank you very much Moderator: Rebecca Dodd, Director, Climate Integration and Programming, Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Ms Sarah Ransom, General Manager of the Australian Water Partnership
Ms Lusia Sefo-Leau, Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Water and Wastewater Association (PWWA)
Distinguished delegates, partners, and colleagues

I would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today. I would also like to pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging.”

2.    It is a privilege to address you today at the Australian Water Partnership Partners’ Workshop. I extend my gratitude to the Australian Water Partnership and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for this invitation and for your steadfast commitment to water security and climate resilience across our region.

3.    We come together at a propitious time for Australia, and I wish to congratulate the Australian people on a successful federal election. I offer warm congratulations from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on your resounding victory and re-election as Prime Minister of Australia. I look forward to your continued leadership in the important joint work and efforts of the Pacific Islands Forum to advance our shared Blue Pacific vision for peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, that ensures all Pacific peoples can lead free, healthy and productive lives.

4.    The theme of this year’s workshop, “Collective action on water and climate,” resonates deeply with the Pacific Islands Forum’s vision for the 2050 Blue Pacific Continent. Our region stands at the frontline of the climate change crisis, facing intensifying disasters – cyclones, droughts, flooding, and sea level rise – that threaten our very existence, our livelihoods, and our cultures.

2050 Blue Pacific Continent: Climate Change and Disasters

5.    The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, endorsed by our Leaders in 2022, is our collective response to these existential threats. It is a call for proactive, culturally grounded, and united action to address climate change and disaster impacts. The Strategy recognises that water security is not just a development issue – it is a matter of survival, human rights, and dignity for our people.

6.    Our region’s vulnerabilities are further exacerbated by the impacts of climate change and many of our communities already face acute water scarcity and contamination issues. As Pacific Islands countries continue to bear disproportionate costs for adaptation and resilience, so will our continued efforts to speak with one voice on the global stage, advocating for climate justice, increased climate finance, and urgent action from the world’s major emitters.

7.    Water security is a cornerstone of our resilience agenda. The Pacific Islands Forum, together with key partners such as the Pacific Community (SPC), has prioritised regional collaboration to strengthen hydrological services, improve data collection, and enhance forecasting and disaster preparedness.

Pacific Resilience Partnership and the Water Security Technical Working Group

8.    Central to our regional approach is the Pacific Resilience Partnership (PRP), established to drive the implementation of the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific. The PRP brings together Pacific governments, civil society, the private sector, and development partners under a single, inclusive mechanism to coordinate and elevate Pacific priorities.

9.    Within the PRP, the Water Security Technical Working Group (WSTWG) plays a pivotal role. This Technical Working Group has developed a five-year Water Security Engagement Strategy, designed to foster multi-sectoral collaboration, strengthen engagement, and drive collective action on water security as a critical component of resilience. This Strategy is not just a document – it is a living framework for advocacy, knowledge sharing, and partnership, aimed at ensuring that every Pacific Islander has access to clean, safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

10.    Recent data from the Asian Development Bank’s 2020 Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO) reveals that the Pacific region holds a concerning National Water Security score of 45.4 – an indicator that urgently calls for strengthened water governance, investment, and coordination. This score is among the lowest across all assessed regions and reflects deep structural challenges in sustainable water management. Further analysis of this assessment should enable us to design targeted interventions that respond directly to our unique vulnerabilities and needs. For this, we will need the support and cooperation of our trusted partners like the AWP.

11.    We must also emphasise the strong correlation between water insecurity and broader social indicators, particularly the crisis of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), limited access to WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), and critical health outcomes such as infant mortality and life expectancy. The reality is that without safe water and sanitation, the health of Pacific peoples – especially women, children, and vulnerable groups, will continue to deteriorate. Investments in water security, therefore, are not only environmental or infrastructure decisions, but vital to public health and social development.

12.    The Pacific Water and Wastewater Ministerial Forum has emerged as a crucial political platform for advancing water security across the region. It provides an opportunity for aligning national commitments with regional priorities, as expressed through the Forum Leaders. Importantly, the water ministerial forum reinforces that water security is an integral part of our regional peace and security architecture, as articulated in the Boe Declaration on Regional Security Action Plan. The Pacific’s high-level political frameworks explicitly recognise that climate change and resource insecurity, including access to water, are pressing security challenges that demand urgent and coordinated action.

Looking ahead: collective action and shared responsibility

13.    The challenges before us are immense, but so too is our resolve. The Pacific’s experience demonstrates that regional solidarity, knowledge exchange, and partnership are our greatest strengths. We welcome the continued support and collaboration of the Australian Water Partnership and all our partners in advancing water security and climate resilience.

14.    Let us reaffirm our commitment to the 2050 Blue Pacific vision – a future where our islands are resilient, our communities thrive, and our children inherit a safe and secure environment. Together, through collective action, we can turn the tide on climate change and disasters, and secure water for all.

15.    Thank you very much.