Outside of his adopted Zimbabwe and the international community of water and sanitation professionals, Dr. Peter Morgan’s heroism is likely relatively unknown to most. He applied his brilliance not to what most pursue as the forefront of innovation, but instead to the backlog of science – the neglected art of creating technical solutions to better the lives of the least affluent so that they can afford access to the simple necessities of clean water to drink and a functioning latrine so they can safely relieve themselves in dignity. In so doing, Dr. Morgan has developed solutions that protect the health and lives of millions of people and has become the very worthy recipient of the 2013 Stockholm Water Prize, which he will receive on September 5 during the World Water Week in Stockholm. You can read more about his inspiring achievements in this issue.

Also in this edition, Mr. Kerry Schneider, explains why patience is a strategic virtue when setting the stage for cooperation over shared waters. As we hit the midpoint of the “International Year of Water Cooperation”, Mr. Alistair Rieu-Clark reflects on the progress to date and priorities for the coming months to make 2013 a landmark year to strengthen the legal architecture for transboundary watercourses. Water Cooperation will be the focus of the upcoming 2013 World Water Week, which will also include many new features that you can learn about in this issue that we hope will make your trip to Stockholm even more effective and enjoyable.

One important item for this year is the 2013 Stockholm Statement online forum (www.siwi.org/stockholmstatement2013), where you are encouraged to share your views on what message the water community should take to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 68) as it develops a roadmap towards the Post-2015 development agenda. We look forward hearing your thoughts on how we together can work towards a water wise world.

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.

Featured articles:

• Liberia WASH Compact Review Report
• Water Cooperation – Building Partnerships
• World Leading in Five Thematic Areas by 2017
• Lake Victoria Basin: Where Water Integrity and Sustainable Development are Close Siblings

The World Water Week will also host the 10th Annual Meeting of the International Water Resources Economics Consortium (IWREC), which will bring a host of world leading economists to give valuable input into the week’s deliberations. On page 9, readers can get an insight on why it is important to set a value for water to be able to achieve a positive change. This issue of the Stockholm Water Front also includes two examples of working with communities in remote countryside regions in China and Kenya. The first article explores whether Chinese policies can bring development to the People’s Republic’s water-scarcest regions, while the other article explores a pilot project in a remote Kenyan region that aimed to increase community participation through increasing awareness of “water as a human right.”

More SIWI news related to projects, prizes and partners are also included in this issue of Stockholm Water Front. Please do not hesitate to give us feedback on any issue you read in this magazine, by sending an email to waterfront@siwi.org.

In an ever-changing world, the value of communication that is customised for its target audience has never been more impor-tant. SIWI has been aware of this since our beginnings. This spring we celebrate twenty years of serving the international water community with updates through one of the most respected publications in this sector, namely, the Stockholm Water Front.