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MR JÁNOS ÁDER, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY
Looking at the future of our water resources, I am sure many readers of Free Flow will agree with the
striking conclusion of Hungarian-born Nobel laureate physicist, Dénes Gábor: “Until today man has
fought nature. From now on man has to fight his own nature.” Over the next few decades, 2 billion human
beings will be added to the global population amid dramatically changing climatic conditions, and this will
necessitate significant changes in the way we manage our waters.
I am convinced that the growing uncertainties surrounding the availability and quality of water can only
be tackled successfully if all affected stakeholders – government, businesses, civil society and academia – act
together. Mutual dependencies will only increase over time as regions and sectors exposed to water shortage rely
more and more on waters controlled by others. Water must therefore be treated as a high political priority that is
integrated into other policy areas. Needless to say, cooperation is essential – not only between sectors, but also
across geographical and political boundaries.
In view of these objectives, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de
Janiero in June 2012, I invited the international community to Budapest to better define an international
water-related sustainable development goal. Hungary was honoured to host the Budapest Water Summit
where decision makers, scientists, civil society activists and business people gathered to discuss the role of
water in sustainable development.
Hungary has developed a strong tradition of prudent water management over the centuries. Our water experts
have provided assistance to developing nations for decades. Given the hydrogeological conditions of the country,
transboundary water cooperation is an unquestionable imperative for Hungary. Naturally, Hungary wishes to
remain at the core of the global political discourse on water, as this discourse is a precondition to safeguard
our water resources for future generations. We, Hungarians, stand ready to join other nations and share our
experience to give the future a chance!
Mr János Áder
President of the Republic of Hungary