Leading water industry experts, ministers and young leaders from around the world will be in Stockholm, Sweden, for the upcoming World Water Week 2024 where they will highlight the need to boost water co-operation for a peaceful and sustainable future.

 

Organised annually by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the event kicks off tomorrow (August 25) and will run until August 29.

 

The focal point of World Water Week 2024 will be water cooperation aimed at fostering peace and security across various dimensions: human security, food and nutrition security, ecosystem security, energy security, and the intricate relationships among these domains.

 

The theme, ‘Bridging Borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future’ calls upon participants to acknowledge the interconnectedness of communities and nations both regionally and globally. It emphasises the imperative of collaborative efforts in paving the way towards a future that is both peaceful and sustainable.

 

The event selects a singular theme to drive and reflect the global agenda. It seeks to provide an inclusive and action-oriented platform and aims to attract individuals committed to leveraging water as a catalyst for positive change, promoting effective water cooperation, and advancing opportunities for transformative impact worldwide.

 

Taking place at Waterfront Centre Stage as well as online, the opening ceremony will shed light on the theme of Bridging Borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future. It will attract leading global water experts, ministers, journalists and young leaders from around the world.

 

"Many obstacles exist to a peaceful and sustainable future. How can we better understand these obstacles and each other? What solutions are out there to overcome them and what is the role of water in building bridges. The Opening Ceremony puts these questions at the centre and explores how understanding water’s role in our interconnected world can lead to greater cooperation and understanding as well as innovative solutions, and improved policies," said senior experts.

 

Bringing together inspiring thinkers, and decision-makers from different backgrounds, the Opening Ceremony bridges various angles from science and research, foreign policy, water security and global agendas. 

 

Additionally, it sheds light on the obstacles to cooperation and reflects how we can make inclusive decision-making work and improve mutual understanding in times of global crises.

 

With this wide range of experiences and perspectives, the Opening Ceremony will set the tone for the Week, highlighting the power of water for a more sustainable and peaceful future for all.

 

SIWI is convening a wide range of sessions and events, bridging borders across sectors, topics and people.

 

It will host nine different seminars that delve deeper into this year's theme including the water diplomacy; Water and armed conflict: Implications for human security; management of shared water resources for peace and cooperation; water security within just planetary boundaries; technical solutions for secure water supplies to help build stability and peace; Can water for food help peaceful outcomes?; Water for ecosystem security; Institutions for water, peace and cooperation and monitoring and data to support peace and security.