2007 World Water Week Takes Place August 12-18

Topics include climate change, measuring progress, unsolved sanitation challenges, water management, water for food and ecosystems, investment in water, governance and more

Stockholm, Sweden — Water and sanitation, environment, development and related issues such as climate change are more critical than ever. With this backdrop, the 2007 World Water Week in Stockholm will gather leading experts in the Swedish capital this August to highlight concrete work that matters for the poor, for the environment and for our common future.

The theme of this year's event is "Progress and Prospects on Water: Striving for Sustainability in a Changing World." A record number of participants – 2400 from some 130 countries – are expected to explore a wide variety of themes and topics at the Stockholm City Conference Centre, August 12-18, 2007. Plenary sessions, panel debates, social events, facility tours and prize-giving ceremonies will combine to provide the week's varied programme. Leading professionals from business, government, water management, science, intergovernmental organisations, NGOs, training institutes and United Nations agencies will participate. Over 140 organisations are co-convenors of the event together with the Stockholm International Water Institute.

Hot Topics to be Addressed in Stockholm
Climate change: With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report having been released during the first half of 2007, and media coverage of severe floods, droughts and melting glaciers, the issue of climate change has never been such a "hot" topic. To cover all aspects of the challenges associated with water and climate change, World Water Week is devoting an entire day to the topic, as well as additional activities during the week. Seminars will consider issues such as adaptation strategies that are being prepared in developed and developing countries, vulnerability mapping and opportunities for innovation. Further, a high level panel will address the topic of climate and water during the World Water Week's opening general session on Monday, August 13.

Measuring progress: Several important reports on the state of water resources and water supply and sanitation services have been published since 2005. Similarly, reviews have been conducted of progress towards achieving, by 2015¸ the Millennium Development Goal targets for water and sanitation. The same is true of the efforts to implement the Johannesburg Plan of Action for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Water Efficiency Plans (WEP). However, this work has raised as many questions as it has answered. A number of seminars at World Water Week will focus on this topic.

Unsolved sanitation challenges: Some 2.6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation and diarrhoeal diseases triggered by inadequate sanitation facilities and unsafe hygiene behaviour kill millions of people annually, mostly children. Improved sanitation and hygiene helps eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, promotes universal primary education, builds gender equality, reduces child mortality, improves maternal health and ensures environmental sustainability. This year's World Water Week will explore sanitation and hygiene – the "orphan child" of the water sector – in depth.

Water management: Water management facilitates the development of sustainable, efficient and equitable systems within the watershed (also called a river or drainage basin, or a catchment). Such management is fundamental to the well-being of people, economic growth and the environment. River basin management leads to a balanced approach to land, water and natural resource management on a watershed basis. This year's World Water Week will explore relevant aspects of water management such as the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) concept, governance aspects and groundwater issues.

Water for food and ecosystems: By 2020, world cereal demand will have increased by 40% since the late 1990s. This should be good news, except that the world only has a limited supply of water. Current production methods are unsustainable, since they involve large-scale groundwater overexploitation and widespread river depletion, which threatens biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems. The key is to find ways to produce more food using less water, and to ensure that biodiversity losses do not threaten ecosystems. Such keys will be explored in Stockholm.

Investing in water: Investments in improved water resources management and water supply and sanitation are often perceived merely as costs. This perception holds sway even when there are signs that such actions could bring considerable economic gains – gains which are required for poverty alleviation. In Stockholm, the macroeconomic perspective will be assayed.

Better governance: Recognition has been growing of the vital role that good governance plays within the water sector. Indeed, it is now widely accepted by politicians around the world that governance is a critical issue which must be addressed if unsustainable development and poverty are to be tackled successfully. Focus in Stockholm will be directed towards the governance-related issues of corruption, local urban levels, the capacity for adaptation to better good governance.

Prizes and Awards
The World Water Week in Stockholm isn't just a forum for discussion of solutions to the world's pressing water and related problems. It's also a place to celebrate the accomplishments of those whose outstanding efforts are already improving the water environment, bringing water and basic sanitation to those in need, and increasing our knowledge of water through groundbreaking research. The Stockholm Water Prize, Stockholm Junior Water Prize, Stockholm Industry Water Award, Swedish Baltic Sea Water Award and World Water Week Best Poster will all be presented during the week.

SOURCE: The World Water Week