Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said Monday that his successor Prabowo Subianto would carry on Indonesia’s commitment to help the world better manage its water resources. 

Jokowi at the time was kicking off the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, which saw attendance from some world leaders and American business magnate Elon Musk. As his speech neared its end, Jokowi introduced Prabowo to the high-profile crowd. Jokowi -- who was initially speaking in Indonesian language -- quickly switched to English when speaking of the president-elect. Prabowo also got up from his seat to greet the applauding audience.

“In relation to continuity, in October, my term as president will come to an end. On this good occasion, allow me to introduce the president-elect of Indonesia: Mr. Prabowo Subianto, who is currently serving as the minister of defense,” Jokowi told the forum. 

“[Mr. Prabowo] will continue Indonesia’s commitment to contribute towards world’s water management. Terima kasih, Pak Prabowo [thank you, Mr. Prabowo],” Jokowi said. 

Water makes up 65 percent of the archipelagic Indonesia’s territories, according to Jokowi. The two-term president then talked of how cooperation had taken Indonesia far on water management and green energy development. This includes the collaborative project of restoring the highly polluted Citarum River. Another case in point is the Cirata floating solar plant in West Java -- a project backed by Emirati investment. Jokowi called the Cirata facility Southeast Asia’s largest floating solar plant. It is also the third-largest of its kind in the world.

“We can interpret the forum’s theme ‘Water for Shared Prosperity’ into three fundamental principles. The first is avoiding competition and encouraging equality. The second is to uphold inclusive cooperation, including the use of innovative technologies and financing. Last but not least is supporting shared peace and prosperity,” Jokowi said.

“These three principles are only achievable with one keyword, namely collaboration,” Jokowi said, while adding that water could lead to disastrous consequences if not managed well.

Prabowo -- alongside Jokowi’s son Gibran Rakabuming as vice president -- will rise to power this October. Prabowo, who is also a former general, has promised to continue Jokowi’s policies, although he recently said that his military background would not affect his leadership style. According to Prabowo's manifesto, the president-elect wants to help Indonesia to establish self-sufficiency in water, including stopping reclamation plans that harm the ecosystem and environment.

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