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.

Read more and download the full magazine here.

• Dr. Peter Morgan Wins Stockholm Water Prize by by Mr. Josh Weinberg
• Netafim receives Stockholm Industry Water Award by Mr. Josh Weinberg
• Will 2013 be seen as the International Year of Water Law Cooperation? by Mr. Alistair Rieu-Clarke
• 2013 World Water Week in Stockholm – What’s New? by Ms. Sanna Gustafsson
• 2013 Stockholm Statement: Advocating Water by Ms. Maya Rebermark
  
• Setting the stage for collaboration over shared waters by Mr. Kerry Schneider
• Book review: Water, Christianity and the Rise of Capitalism by Mr. Terje Oestigaard

Read more and download the full magazine here.

Featured articles:

• A Last Ditch Effort to Save the Jordan River by Mr. Rami Abdelrahman and Dr. Anders Jägerskog
  
• Development Under Water Duress by Ms. Chibesa Pensulo
• Water in the Post-2015 Development Agenda by Ms. Maya Rebermark
• Exploring Water Cooperation on World Water Day by Ms. Lovisa Selander
• Top Ten Reasons to Attend the 2013 World Water Week in Stockholm by Ms. Sanna Gustafsson

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.

Our blue planet is at a most interesting crossroad. Water challenges continue to grow more pressing as demand for finite resources escalates due to both population and economic growth. The requirements to produce more
food and energy, as well as the variability of water availability, are putting our water resources under significant stress. Demand from manufacturing industries is projected to quadruple to 2050, and water use by both thermal electricity generation and households is set to more than double.

Today, 783 million people around the world still do not have access to clean water and almost 2.5 billion live without adequate sanitation. On all fronts, more needs to be done to create a world where the human right to clean water and sanitation is fulfilled for all people. But there are many reasons for optimism. Attention to water issues is rising as a social, political, and development priority. The international community is now discussing the creation of new wise ambitions that will support the movement towards a sustainable and desirable world for all – the so called Post-2015 Development Agenda.

In this issue, Stockholm Water Front had the opportunity to hear the thoughts from those deeply engaged in this process who explain why a ‘water goal’ is something we should aim for. During the International Year of Water
Cooperation, we do see more collaboration emerging between governments, the private sector, academia and civil society. As you can read about here, this is especially important, but can also be exceptionally challenging,
in water stressed regions like the Lower Jordan River.

We also hope to contribute to improved cooperation and more concrete outcomes through the World Water Week on the same theme. In case you haven’t booked your tickets to Stockholm already, we offer our top ten reasons why we think your trip will be worth it. We look forward to seeing you in Stockholm!

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.

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