Since 1991, Stockholm has become the International water portal reference thanks to its annual world water week event organized and hosted by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). This world-class event is known as a comprehensive forum where experts, decision makers, environmentalists and common citizens exchange facts, opinions and knowledge. Covering scientific, civic, business sectors, this annual event presents a comprehensive set of workshops, presentation and seminars that covers the most critical water issues of our contemporary society. These activities are not meant to be merely informative, experts focus on concrete case studies in order to try to come up with solutions and long-term sustainable plans in order to reduce the impact of water related issues such as poverty or health problems. The 2010 World Water Week will take place starting September the 5th at the Stockholm International Fairs.
The city of Stockholm is a great inspirational town and host of the water event considering that wetlands such as the Lake of Malaren are a centre pillar to the live of the citizens. People swim and fish in the very centre of the city without any risks to their health, thanks to an efficient system of wastewater treatment. According to the SIWI website, only a couple of decades ago these same waters where highly polluted and toxic. This serves as an inspirational example, emblematic of the need to turn around the water crisis situation that has taken over most countries. During this special week, the event tries to foster analyze the interconnected problems of water related to the sphere of the environment, society, and economics in order to develop a concrete plan of action based on the concrete cases of the past showcases developed at the Water Week events from the past.
Each year, the event covers a specific theme in order to explore with a great depth a particular facet of a water-related issue.
In order to be coherent with the goal and mission of the week, the Stockholm International Institute is working hard at making the World Water Week a sustainable event, offering participants concrete ways to reduce their own impact on the environment. For the 2010 event, the green initiatives will include encouraging people to drink local tap water since “drinking water fountains will be located around the venue for participants to refill reusable water bottles that are included in the conference bags free of charge” (Source: http://www.worldwaterweek.org/green). The town wants to promote its own potable tap water that is of high quality and come directly from the nearby lake Mälaren. In addition, participants are strongly encouraged to calculate their own carbon emissions and are provided with a set of link that present efficient carbon offsetting programs. In addition, all participants will receive a free public transportation pass for the entire week, in order to diminish dependence on cars and taxis and to try convincing people that buses are just as convenient and less harmful to the environment. Another important green initiative launched with the event organizers is the ecolabeled hotels that will be making sure to pamper all the guests with a touch of green attitude. Partner hotels to the conference have obtained “certification to Swan Ecolabel and ISO 14000, Swan is the official Nordic Ecolabel-its stringent standards ensure that a particular product has minimized its environmental impact” (Source: http://www.worldwaterweek.org/green). More concretely, this implies that the hotels give priority to renewable energy sources, sort waste, try to minimize energy consumption, use eco-friendly cleaning substances and pick suppliers with environmental friendly attitudes. While the theme changes every year, each theme is part of a larger issue that is covered for a couple of years. For instance, from 2009 to 2012, the larger theme is “Responding to Global Changes” with a specific outlook at the water quality challenge for the year 2010. Every country of the world faces water pollution problems with an estimated “two million tonnes of human waste being disposed in watercourses” (Source: http://www.worldwaterweek.org/sa/node.asp?node=472).
According to the website, it is important to identify the source and level of water pollution in order to fully assess the situation and come up with a plan of action. Preventing water pollution is a complicated challenged that needs to cover all the different types of water pollution in order to deepen the understanding of the situation with the hopes to stimulate discussion and change in the mind of decision-makers, business owners and citizens. This world event deserves a world coverage insofar it promises to tackled down one of the most avoidable crisis situations of our era.
