World Water Week kicks off in Stockholm to discuss water crisis amid climate change

New Delhi: World Water Week kicked off in Stockholm, Sweden to discuss the issues related to water conservation and other crisis that emerged from climate change.

This is an annual gathering of thousands of organizations and individuals who come together to rethink how water is being managed, under the theme of ” Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-wise World.”

On the first day of the event, the President of the General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, said that “Our problem is that we are running into a water crisis. And unless we change direction, we will face serious, serious challenges.”

Mr. Kőrösi proposed five solutions, including building a water cooperation platform among all 193 UN Member States and the creation of a UN-wide water strategy, headed by a UN Special Envoy on Water.

World Water Week is being framed as a continuation of what was agreed in March during the UN 2023 Water Conference 2023.

The UN 2023 Water Conference 2023, has adopted the “Water Action Agenda ” with almost 700 commitments to protect a water-secure future for all.

According to the UN, by 2050, an estimated six billion people will face water scarcity due to climate change, pollution, and increasingly unsustainable consumption and production.

The international community also needs to integrate water and climate policies, because most of how we experience climate change is related to water – either through flooding, droughts, or water-borne diseases, Mr. Kőrösi mentioned.

The Water Week includes a competition for students between the ages of 15 to 20, to develop research projects that can help solve major water challenges.

The winners of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize will be awarded by the event’s patron HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.

The ceremony will be held ahead of Wednesday’s awarding of the Stockholm Water Prize, which is described as the Nobel Prize of water, and coincidentally will be awarded in the same hall as the iconic Nobel Prize awards.

The Prize is awarded by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) in cooperation with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.