Sara Aso from grade 9 represented Japan in Youth Water Form Asia, an event held on November 11 in Kumamoto that involved presentations and discussions with high school students from Japan, Korea and Indonesia. Students from Linden Hall High School, Shingu High School, and Youth Water Forum Kumamoto in Japan; 4 students from Korea; and 2 students from Indonesia presented on water-related activities in their schools and water-related issues in their countries.

Last year, graduate Maria Tsuzuki participated in the Asia Pacific Water Summit and the youth session of the United Nations Water Conference 2023. Sara has been able to effectively continue the stream of sustainability initiatives at Linden Hall High School and presented confidently about them at the Youth Water Forum Asia.

The morning portion of the forum was a working session on various countries’ problems related to water resources. The afternoon portion included presentations and a panel discussion.

We asked Sara four questions about her experience.

1. What did you learn at Youth Water Forum Asia?

It was a fantastic experience for me to discuss water issues with students from Kumamoto and Korea. Throughout the panel discussion, I exchanged ideas and heard valuable stories about global water issues and expectations for our younger generation's role in the future. While I learned numerous lessons from this forum, the most memorable lesson was realizing that as we work to solve water problems, it's crucial not only to think and act but also to spread this information globally. I felt it was important to find supportive companies, adults, and mentors who could aid and encourage us.

2. What was it like to interact with the international participants?

Students from Japan, Korea, and Indonesia took part in this forum. Four high school boys from Korea participated, and they all were very good at presenting and discussing their work. It was exciting to learn from them! During our discussions and group sessions, they listened actively to others and spoke in a way that everyone could understand. One of the Korean students had a presentation theme similar to mine, but he had approached it from a different perspective than I had. I gained valuable new perspectives from his presentation.

3. What stood out most about your experience?

The most memorable part of the summit for me was the icebreaker activity during the morning session. Every student had strong opinions but also listened attentively to others' presentations. I was very glad to receive numerous questions and pieces of advice regarding my project throughout the summit.

4. How do you intend to use what you learned through this experience in the future?

While the Japanese students tried to solve world issues from a cultural perspective, the Korean students approached them from a scientific perspective. As a result, the Korean students had a lot of specific data, and their presentations were very convincing. I realized that I could add more details to my own presentation. I felt that to solve such a significant problem such as the world's water issues, it is important to spread the information to more people so we can find collaborative approaches. I will use what I learned during this forum and spread information about water issues to the people around me and to the world.