Global leaders in Stockholm for World Water Week

STOCKHOLM – Over 2500 politicians, business leaders, and representatives of 200 international organisations will meet from August 26-31 at the World Water Week in Stockholm, where they will forge solutions to meet rapidly escalating demands for limited water and land from all sectors of the economy. 
In over 100 seminars, workshops and events spread throughout the week, participants will meet under the theme "Water and Food Security". The World Water Week in Stockholm is an annual global forum to review progress, build capacities and promote partnerships to address increasing water and development challenges. Organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), it brings together thousands of experts, practitioners, decision makers and business innovators from around the globe to exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions.

Ministers and high level government officials will be joined this year by CEOs, scientists, chief economists, heads of UN bodies and participants from over 200 convening organisations and more than 100 nations. Experts at the event will debate and showcase solutions to ensure that the planets limited water resources are efficiently used to meet the needs of growing populations and prevent water shortages, floods and droughts from constraining economic growth. Today, nearly one billion suffer from hunger, another two billion suffer from undernourishment, and at the same time over one-third of all food is lost or wasted. Demand for food and fibre is projected to increase by 70 per cent by mid-century and, without intervention, will place untenable pressure on water resources in many regions in the world.

As input to the Week's deliberations, SIWI released its report "Feeding a thirsty world: Challenges and opportunities for a water and food secure world", which spotlights a number of essential and largely overlooked challenges where dedicated action can help ensure water and food security.

Headline speakers and events

At the opening session on August 27, top experts and members of government that will present include: Hon Mohamed Bahaa El Din Saad, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt and President of the African Ministers Council on Water (AWCOW); Hon Gunilla Carlsson, Minister of International Development Cooperation, Sweden; Dr José Graziano da Silva, Director-General Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations; Mr. Sanjeev Chadha President of PepsiCo Middle East and Africa; Mr. Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director, Stockholm International Water Institute; and Dr Colin Chartres, Director General, International Water Management Institute the 2012 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate.

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