World Water Week opens in Stockholm

Around 3000 people from over 120 countries are meeting in Stockholm this week for the 26th annual World Water Week, organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).

This year’s event has the theme ‘Water for Sustainable Growth’ and experts in the water, climate and development communities will come together to discuss how water can enable the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. As noted by SIWI Executive Director Torgny Holmgren, “Without reliable access to water, almost no Sustainable Development Goal will be achieved.

“Water connects not only sectors, but also nations, communities and different actors,” Holmgren continued. “Water can be the unifying power, the enabler for progress in both Agenda 2030 and the Paris climate agreement.”

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström reinforced this message, saying, “Successful realisation of Goal 6 of the 2030 Agenda will underpin progress across many of the other goals, particularly on nutrition, child health, education, gender equality, healthy cities and healthy water ecosystems and oceans.”

The secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Angel Gurría, claimed that water has come to the front and centre of international deliberations. “Water now has the place it needs to have in international priorities,” said Gurría.

World Water Week is running in Stockholm from 28 August to 2 September. For the latest updates from the event, visit http://www.worldwaterweek.org/.