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World Water Week 2019

25 August 2019 - 30 August 2019
Stockholm, Sweden

World Water Week is organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and is the annual focal point for global water issues, gathering leading water experts, decision-makers, and business leaders. The 2019 theme was “Water for society: Including all.”

World Water Week 2019 sought to draw attention to the fact that humanity’s major challenges are interlinked and can only be solved through broad solutions. The escalating water crisis has increased focus on the importance of good water governance, to make sure that there is enough clean water for the many competing needs.

It is of particular importance that marginalised groups are not left behind and that they can influence decision-making. How this can be achieved was explored from various angles throughout World Water Week 2019. Many sessions were dedicated to sharing the knowledge of different groups, such as people living with disabilities, ethnic minorities, slum-dwellers, the young and the elderly. Other activities focused on how gender roles and power relations impact who gets what water, reminding participants that efficient water governance may require the challenging of traditional stereotypes.

One of the most noticeable trends in the water world is growing interest among young people. This was very evident at World Water Week, with one third of participants under age 35. Stockholm Junior Water Prize has also expanded its activities, which this year included a scientific seminar, the Malin Falkenmark Symposium, where the young scientists made a statement expressing their concern about the climate crisis.

To learn more about some of the main takeaways and learnings from the Week, read the Overarching Conclusions here.

 

One of the side-events, ‘Analytical tools for identifying water conflict risks’, was organised by adelphi and IHE Delft together with the World Resources Institute, Deltares, and the Dutch and German foreign ministries. To read the event summary, please click here.

 

[This description was taken from worldwaterweek.org.]