On Saturday, April 23, 2022, Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan virtually attended — from the Imperial Palace in Tokyo — the opening of the 4the Asia-Pacific Water Summit (APWS) held in Kumamoto City, Japan.

According to the official website for the APWS the event will bring together:

“…high-level delegates including heads of states and representatives from international organizations in the Asia-Pacific region will discuss various water-related issues.

The 4th APWS will also share with the world the long-standing efforts of the host city, Kumamoto, in conserving groundwater as well as its recovering efforts from the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes.

Under the theme, ‘Water for Sustainable Development: Best Practices and the Next Generation, the outcomes of the 4th APWS discussions on how to implement the recommendations given in the Yangon Declaration are expected to make a great contribution to leading the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

During today’s opening, Emperor Naruhito gave a speech in which he noted, “…We must work together on issues related to the relationship between people and water. It’s an urgent issue…”

If you’re interested in learning more about the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit please visit their official website here.