Stockholm Water Week

Stockholm Water Week
Name	Stockholm Water Week
Status	Active
Genre	International conference
Frequency	Annual
Venue	Stockholm International Conference Centre
Location	Stockholm, Sweden
First	1991
Organizer	Stockholm International Water Institute

Stockholm Water Week Stockholm Water Week is an annual international gathering focused on freshwater, sanitation, transboundary River issues, and urban water and sanitation challenges. Drawing delegates from United Nations agencies, World Bank, European Union, civil society, research institutions such as Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, and private sector firms including Veolia and SUEZ, the event convenes policy makers, scientists, and practitioners to negotiate frameworks, share evidence, and forge partnerships. The meeting routinely influences agendas at forums such as the United Nations General Assembly, UN-Water, and the UNFCCC COPs.

Overview

Stockholm Water Week functions as a platform connecting actors across UNEP, UNDP, FAO, UNICEF, and World Health Organization to address integrated water management, hydrology research, and sanitation interventions. The program includes high-level plenaries featuring representatives from European Commission, African Union, ASEAN, and bilateral donors like Sida and USAID. It hosts thematic sessions on topics linked to Sustainable Development Goal 6, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and resilient infrastructure initiatives tied to New Urban Agenda discussions. The week also stages exhibitions where technology providers such as Xylem Inc. and Grundfos display innovations.

History

The conference traces roots to early 1990s dialogues among Swedish research centers, policy makers, and international organizations seeking to internationalize lessons from Scandinavian water management exemplified by Stockholm Water Catchment, Norrström, and municipal systems like those in Stockholm. Key milestones include cross-sectoral alignments with the Agenda 21 outcomes from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, formalization under the Stockholm International Water Institute and expanded links to Global Water Partnership, International Water Management Institute, and International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement networks. Over time the meeting has intersected with major events such as the World Water Forum, the World Economic Forum, and diplomacy-driven processes involving Convention on Biological Diversity and Ramsar Convention parties. Prominent speakers have come from institutions including World Meteorological Organization, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and national ministries from countries like India, China, Brazil, South Africa, and United States.

Program and Themes

Annual themes are shaped around priorities such as integrated water resources management, transboundary river cooperation, groundwater governance, and sanitation for urban resilience, and have aligned with global frameworks like 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Sessions are organized around strands led by partners including International Water Association, IUCN, Green Climate Fund, and European Investment Bank. Workshops address technical topics involving drought preparedness linked to El Niño–Southern Oscillation, flood risk management tied to IPCC scenarios, and nature-based solutions that reference Ramsar Convention wetlands and Natura 2000 sites. Capacity-building seminars feature academics from Lund University, Uppsala University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Oxford, and practitioners from Red Cross societies and municipal authorities.

Participants and Stakeholders

Participants span multilateral institutions such as United Nations, World Bank Group, and Asian Development Bank, national ministries from Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Indonesia), and Ministry of Water Resources (China), research organizations like International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and Stockholm Environment Institute, NGOs including Oxfam, World Wildlife Fund, and WaterAid, as well as corporate actors like ABB, Siemens, and consultancy firms such as McKinsey & Company. Local governments, indigenous representatives from regions including the Amazon rainforest and Sahel, philanthropic foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation, and youth networks including United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth are regularly involved. Donor coordination involves actors like Sida, Department for International Development (UK), and Norad.

Outcomes and Impact

Stockholm Water Week has catalyzed policy uptake in multilateral processes including incorporation of water targets in the Sustainable Development Goals, strengthened partnerships for transboundary basin organizations like those governing the Mekong River Commission and Nile Basin Initiative, and stimulated finance instruments with World Bank and regional development banks. Technical outputs have supported initiatives by WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme and informed climate adaptation plans in municipalities such as Cape Town and Jakarta. The week’s networking has led to consortiums engaging with Horizon 2020, Green Climate Fund proposals, and private-public partnerships involving municipal utilities, technology firms, and investors like European Investment Bank. Evaluations cite influence on research agendas at universities and think tanks such as Chatham House and Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Organization and Funding

The event is organized principally by the Stockholm International Water Institute in collaboration with partners including City of Stockholm, Sida, UN-Water, and corporate sponsors. Funding comes from a mix of government grants (e.g., from Sweden), multilateral contributions (e.g., World Bank, European Commission), philanthropic donors like the Gates Foundation, and private sector sponsorship from firms such as Veolia, SUEZ (company), Grundfos, and Xylem Inc.. Organizing committees coordinate with host venue partners like the Stockholm International Conference Centre and logistics providers, while academic and NGO partners handle session curation, outreach to delegations from entities such as African Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and regional water authorities.

Category:International conferences