It’s World Water Week (At Home)

(Source: SIWI, 2020)

We’re right in the middle of World Water Week (24 – 28 August 2020) – organised for almost 30 years by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). This week been the focal point for global water issues since 1991.

Key themes from this year’s event include:

  • The need for water solutions to climate change;
  • A renewed focus on resilience after the Covid-19 pandemic; and
  • A growing interest in behavioural change.

And typical of the year that 2020 has become, it’s been organised as WWWeek At Home. The week brings together convenor-hosted, virtual adaptations of sessions on water and climate change originally planned for World Water Week 2020.

This has not stopped the schedule from being jam-packed with 120 sessions that anyone could/can join, including:

  • 2020 Stockholm Junior Water Prize winners announcement yesterday
    (25 August 2020) – Hiroki Matsuhashi and Takuma Miyaki greatly impressed the Jury with their innovative approach to soil erosion, developing a method to control soil runoff and increase food production using traditional Japanese soil solidification technology Tataki.
Hiroki Matsuhashi and Takuma Miyaki were presented with their prize by Patron of the Prize HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (Source: SIWI, 2020)
  • Meet the Ministers event (24 August 2020) – ministers from Colombia, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Sweden, as well as the President of Senegal spoke about their strategies with respect to urgent climate action and the importance of re-valuing water, as well as their response to Covid-19 and building back better through resilient water management.
  • Climate change and water scarcity: how can urban utilities respond?
    (26 August 2020) – As the demand for water increases, and climate change places stress on water availability, finding ways to effectively manage urban water systems has never been more urgent. This session will explore how utilities can transform their operations to improve water resource management and mitigate the impacts of water scarcity.
  • Urban Water Resilience Under COVID-19: What happens next?
    (27 August 2020) – The objective of the online seminar is to present urban water resilience in the context of COVID-19 in different regions and geographical contexts. How have cities addressed water management challenges during the pandemic? What lessons can be drawn from the emergency response? And how can these lessons reshape the recovery phase to advance towards climate-robust and inclusive urban development?
  • Futurecasting a World with Water Aware Financial Institutions
    (28 August 2020) – The interactive session will lay out a vision and a strategy for a future where financial institutions and shareholders understand, recognize and value water resources more fully. Using the Valuing Water Principles as a foundation, participants will discuss a blueprint for how to get financiers to be more productive stakeholders on water.

These are just some of the events that have been and will be held this week! Registration is free for all sessions (held via Zoom) so utilise the World Water Week experts while you still can! And let’s continue to learn and work together to build a water-wise world together.