With the world population expected to have grown to over 9 billion people by 2050, all depending on the same finite and vulnerable water resource as today, our interdependence is growing every day. We all need to work together to ensure a future where water is used wisely. That is why the 2013 World Water Week, set to take place in Stockholm September 1-6, will focus on “Water Cooperation – Building Partnerships”. Thousands of participants are anticipated to congregate in the Swedish capital – this article provides ten reasons why you should join them this summer.

The UN World Water Day on March 22 has become an important moment for actors around the world to advocate the sustainable management of freshwater resources. This year, hundreds of events were held worldwide to raise awareness on water issues. Here in Stockholm, the Swedish Water House at SIWI marked the occasion with a seminar that brought together the leading minds and organisations working with water in Sweden, including the Global Water Partnership, FAO Nordic office, UNDP Sweden, UNEP Sweden, Swedish National Commission for UNESCO and Water Aid.

A Last Ditch Effort to Save the Jordan River
by Mr. Rami Abdelrahman, Programme Officer, and Dr. Anders Jägerskog, Director, Knowledge Services, SIWI

Arguably one of the most endangered rivers on the planet, the river Jordan has been shrinking since one of the oldest continuously inhabited human cities, Jericho, was established on its West Bank. In biblical stories, the Israelites crossed the Jordan “against Jericho,” suggesting that the River was so wide, it reached Jericho. The exact geographical accuracy of this story cannot be defined, but today Jericho stands 10 kilometres away from the River’s West Bank.

The global dialogue, World We Want 2015, comprises of several UN-led processes which aim to help define the global development framework to succeed the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) after 2015. Alongside UN-Water and UNDESA, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF ) co-led the Thematic Consultation on Water. Stockholm Water Front talks to Ms. Cecilia Scharp, Senior Advisor on Water and Sanitation at UNICEF, who shares her hopes for the future Post-2015 development agenda.

Development Under Water Duress by Ms. Chibesa Pensulo, Programme Manager, Knowledge Services, SIWI

The most arid country in sub-Saharan Africa, Namibia is a country fully aware of its need to manage its water resources efficiently. This year, Namibia’s bulk water utility, the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) has entered into a one-year collaborative programme with SIWI together with the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) to build local capacity to better address some of the country’s water sector challenges.

Water is essential to almost all human activities – including those you invest your money in. Today, 20 percent of global GDP is at risk due to water stress. Water supply crises is one of the most likely and potentially highest impact risks that the world of 2013 faces. Businesses state that they face water-related risk presently, and water is clearly a big issue for businesses today that goes far beyond Corporate Social Responsibility obligations. Understanding the risks and opportunities that water presents will help any company avoid unnecessary losses and build a sustainable future.

Read the full article here.

The UN General Assembly has declared 2013 the “International Year of Water Cooperation. Why do we need to cooperate, on what, for what aim, at what level, with whom and, not least, how? The 2013 World Water Week
in Stockholm will raise these questions to the international water community.

With its vision for a “water wise world”, the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) recently produced its 2013-2017 strategy, placing its various programmes and activities within five thematic areas: Climate Change; Transboundary Water Management; Water Governance; Water, Energy and Food Nexus; and Water Economics. In this article, we highlight why we work with these themes and the key services we provide under each theme.

Corruption continues to undermine investments in various sectors. The water sector in East Africa is no exception.

Worldwide, 2012 has been the year of drought. From the Midwest of the USA to the granaries of the Black Sea, from South Asia to the Sahel region of Africa, producers the world over have had to find ways to farm their land in the face of ravaging droughts or feeble monsoons. Both largeholders in food exporting regions and small-holders in poor countries have been hit by these droughts, which have had significant impacts on local and global food prices and thus on food security throughout the world, with potentially more impacts still to come.