By Stockholm International Water Institute
Published August 28, 2014
More than 2 500 politicians, business leaders, innovators, thought leaders and practitioners from 130 countries are set to meet August 31-September 5, 2014 in Stockholm for the 24th annual World Water Week. This year’s focus is on energy and water, two resources that are inseparable from sustainable development and therefore must be tirelessly promoted in global decision-making.
In more than 100 seminars, workshops and events spread throughout the World Water Week, delegates will discuss ongoing and future work and collaboration between the energy and water communities, essential if we are to successfully meet some of the biggest challenges of our time, such as providing clean water and energy for a growing world population.
Water and energy are interdependent in more ways than not. We need energy for pumping, storing, transporting and treating water, we need water for producing almost all sorts of energy. An increase or decrease in one will immediately affect the other. To feed into discussions at the Week, SIWI has just released two must-read reports. While Energy and Water: The Vital Link for a Sustainable Future explores the arguments for tighter links between the two communities, leading researchers assess ‘fracking’ and its impact on freshwater as their contribution to the hotly debated subject of hydraulic fracturing for shale gas, commonly known as fracking.
At World Water Week, the main global annual forum for water and water-related issues, ministers and high-level government officials will be joined this year by CEOs, scientists, heads of UN bodies and participants from more than 270 convening organisations.
RELATED: eThekwini Water & Sanitation Project Wins 2014 Stockholm Industry Water Award
Speakers at the opening session on Monday, September 1, 2014 include Torgny Holmgren, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)’s Executive Director; Hillevi Engström, Sweden’s Minister for Development Cooperation; Edna Molewa, Minister of Environmental Affairs of South Africa; Dr John Briscoe, 2014 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate; Dr Kandeh Yumkella, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All; Anita Marangoly George, Senior Director in charge of Energy and Extractives at the World Bank; Dr Junaid Ahmad, Senior Director in charge of Global Water Practice at the World Bank; Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of IUCN; Héloise Chicou, AGWA, French Water Partnership; Sten Nordin, Mayor of Stockholm; and Karin Lexén, director of World Water Week.
RELATED: South African Professor Wins 2014 Stockholm Water Prize
During the Week, the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize will be awarded to Dr John Briscoe of South Africa “for his unparalleled contributions to global and local water management, inspired by an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of people on the ground.” The prize will be awarded to Dr Briscoe by Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, during a ceremony in Stockholm City Hall on Thursday, September 4, 2014.
Other prizes that will be presented are the Stockholm Industry Water Award which will be awarded on Tuesday, Sept 2, 2014, to South Africa’s eThekwini Water and Sanitation that serves the Durban Metropolitan Area, for “its transformative and inclusive approach to providing water and sanitation services”, and the Stockholm Junior Water Prize which, on Wednesday, September 3, 2014, is given to one national team from 29 competing nations by Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
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