NASIONALXPOS.CO.ID, DENPASAR – Bali Youth Parliament for Water (BYPW) has successfully concluded the Bali Water Summit 2025, a three-part event series aimed at raising awareness and inspiring action on water issues in Bali through youth-driven initiatives. Proudly sponsored by FINNS Beach Club, the entire series highlighted the power of collaboration between youth, local communities, and international partners, on March 15, 2025.
The first event, EcoScreen, was held on February 22, 2025, and featured an environmental film screening followed by an insightful discussion. With over 50 participants, the event offered a creative space to reflect on water sustainability through cinema, sparking ideas and dialogue among Bali’s youth.
On March 8, 2025, BYPW hosted River-She in collaboration with Peduli Sungai Tukad Mati Community. Held in honor of International Women’s Day, this event combined a river clean-up activity with a capacity-building session on women’s empowerment, emphasizing the important role of women in environmental leadership. Around 30 participants joined the initiative, contributing both to ecological restoration and inclusive community engagement.
The series concluded with the main summit on March 15, 2025, hosted in collaboration with United in Diversity Bali Campus. The event opened with welcoming remarks from Duhitta Hayyuardhini (BYPW Group Leader), Sarah Dousse (Executive Director, International Secretariat for Water), and Tantowi Yahya (President, United in Diversity Foundation Indonesia). This was followed by keynote speeches from distinguished figures including Ida Bagus Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra (DPD RI Bali), I Gusti Agung Rai Dwipayana (Representative of the Regent of Tabanan), and Tanya Huizer (Senior Water Resilience Specialist, ADB).
The highlight of the summit was the talk show session under the theme “Rising Currents, Rising Voices: Youth and Women for a Sustainable Water Future.” Conducted in English, the session featured Ni Made Utami Dwipayanti (Udayana University), Dr. Nur Aini Iswati Hasanah (BWS Bali Penida), Edward Angimoy (IDEP Foundation), and Fany Wedahuditama (Water Stewardship Indonesia/Blue Ventures). The speakers shared multi-faceted insights on human rights, governance, community engagement, and water diplomacy.
As a speaker, Fany Wedahuditama shared a powerful message at the end of the talk show session, stating, “We need to admit that there is a problem. We always tend to forget that we are facing the water crisis. We need to learn from the crisis and identify the risk, as risk brings people together. Remember that we get better not by chance, but by change.” The talk show concluded with closing remarks by Rahmah Elfithri from UNESCO, highlighting the importance of inclusive youth and gender participation in water leadership on both local and global scales.
In addition to the talk show, the summit hosted Focus Group Discussions (FGD) facilitated by 11 experienced facilitators. These discussions gathered perspectives from diverse participants and will result in the creation of a policy brief, which will be advocated to key stakeholders following the event—a strong step toward youth-led policy impact. The summit also featured presentations from partner organizations including IDEP Foundation, Kopernik, and Waterbom Bali, further enriching the dialogue.
BYPW’s commitment to meaningful, inclusive, and action-oriented engagement was on full display throughout the Bali Water Summit 2025. The initiative demonstrates how empowered youth and cross-sector collaboration can drive progress toward a more sustainable water future in Bali and beyond. (red)
