SIWI World Water Week 2021 Onlne: Building Resilience Faster by SIWI

Geschreven op 23-9-2015 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Agenda, Water

Update 5 November 2020: The world’s leading annual event on water, World Water Week, has decided to go fully digital in 2021 to ensure that this important conference can take place despite the ongoing pandemic.

The Week will be held 23-27 August 2021 under the theme Building Resilience Faster.

World Water Week typically attracts 4,000 people from more than 135 countries to Stockholm, where the conference has been held since 1991.Next year, however, the organizers at Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) have decided to hold the entire event online.

“Our top priority is to ensure that the conference can take place, no matter what. We know that the topics we work on cannot wait until the pandemic is over. Water is becoming severely scarce in many countries and scientists tell us that we only have a decade to reverse the climate crisis, so World Water Week will provide a meeting place for people around the globe to collaborate on concrete solutions to these threats,” says Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director of SIWI.

World Water Week is a uniquely broad conference, where leading researchers, international organizations, local activist groups, top politicians, students, business leaders, and the development community get a chance to meet people who they are not normally connected to. SIWI is now working on creating a digital event where people can learn from each other and solve problems related to challenges such as the climate crisis, water scarcity, food security and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 2021 theme Building Resilience Faster, was chosen to demonstrate how many of these threats are in fact interlinked and can only be addressed with the help of more attention to water aspects. Henrika Thomasson, Communications Director at SIWI, notes that World Water Week draws an increasingly broad audience:

“More and more people are starting to understand the importance of water in all aspects of human life. We have, therefore, worked actively to welcome new groups to World Water Week who may not have a background in water issues and the digital transformation will make this easier,” Henrika Thomasson says.

19 augustus 2020: World Water Week, the leading annual conference on global water issues, will offer a unique series of free online sessions 24-28 August.

The World Water Week At Home initiative aims to fast-track action on climate change and start a new kind of global dialogue after Covid-19.

World Water Week At Home was launched after the regular World Water Week 2020 had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. The organizers at the Stockholm International Water Institute, SIWI, recognized the need for a different kind of international dialogue: “We live in an era of rapid and unprecedented changes, where it can be difficult to assess new threats and solutions. This makes World Water Week At Home so important as an arena where many different perspectives can be presented,” says Gabriela Suhoschi, Director World Water Week & Prizes at SIWI.

29 August 2019: Dr Jackie King received the 2019 Stockholm Water Prize on Wednesday for her pioneering research on water flows.

Her work has led to a new kind of tools to help decision-makers assess actual costs and benefits of alterations to rivers.

The prize was presented to Dr King by H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Patron of Stockholm Water Prize, at a Royal Award Ceremony during World Water Week in Stockholm.

19 March 2019: Dr Jackie King is named the 2019 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate for her game-changing contributions to global river management. She has advanced the scientific understanding of water flows, giving decision-makers methods and tools to assess the full range of costs and benefits when managing or developing river systems.

Dr King led the early development of the methods as a researcher at the University of Cape Town, funded by South Africa’s Water Research Commission. Later, she and colleagues Dr Cate Brown and Dr Alison Joubert created ecosystem models to demonstrate the ecological and social implications of damming and de-watering rivers. This has enabled objective assessment of the costs of water-resource developments that could emerge linked to benefits such as hydropower and irrigated crops.

On receiving news of the prize, Dr King said: “I find it humbling, energizing and very rewarding. I have never sought high-profile jobs but was happy to be a working scientist, free to say what I felt needed to be said. I am delighted that the silent voices of river systems and their dependent people are increasingly being acknowledged. We all lose if rivers become severely degraded due to poorly-informed development and management. It does not have to be like that.”

Her commitment to raising awareness of the value of rivers and their importance for millions of people has made Dr King highly regarded by academics and water managers globally. In its citation, the Stockholm Water Prize Nominating Committee notes that “Dr Jacqueline King has, through scientific rigour, selfless dedication and effective advocacy, transformed the way we think, talk and work with water as a flow of and for life.”

Dr King’s early work influenced South Africa’s 1998 National Water Act and is increasingly guiding governments and institutions across the globe. First as a researcher and later as a consultant, she has worked in more than 20 countries and with governments of the Mekong, Zambezi, Indus and Okavango River Basins, among others.

“Governments developing their water resources understand the potential benefits but not necessarily the costs in terms of degrading rivers. We can now show these ecological and social costs at a similar level of detail to the benefits shown by planners. This is a new kind of information, not available until the last few years, that helps governments better understand the trade-offs involved in development as they decide on their preferred future,” she says.

Dr King is clear that governments have the right to decide their own path to development. She strives to support them by providing transparent and accessible information so they can effectively assess their different options.

Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director at SIWI, comments that “Dr King has helped decision-makers understand that healthy river ecosystems are not a luxury, but the basis for sustainable development.”

The Stockholm Water Prize, presented annually since 1991, is the world’s most prestigious water award and honours women, men and organizations who have made extraordinary water-related achievements. All nominations are carefully reviewed by the world-leading water experts of the Stockholm Water Prize Nominating Committee. After the Committee has selected a candidate, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences makes the final decision which is confirmed by the Board of Stockholm International Water Institute.

The prize will be presented to Dr King by H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Patron of Stockholm Water Prize, at a Royal Award Ceremony on 28 August, during World Water Week in Stockholm.

The Founders of the Stockholm Water Prize are companies united in their strong conviction to drive sustainability in the water sector. They are Bacardi, Poul Due Jensen Foundation, Ragn-Sells, Water Environment Federation, Xylem and Ålandsbanken.

31 August 2018: The world’s leading annual water event, World Water Week, organized by SIWI, closed on Friday. More than 3,600 participants from 133 countries attended nearly 300 sessions. Known for its diverse participation from different sectors and countries, participants under 35 were more vocal than ever this year.

The 2019 World Water Week will be held 25-30 August 2019 on the theme Water for society – including all. It will move to a new venue, the multi-purpose, Tele2 Arena in central Stockholm.

30 August 2018: Professors Bruce Rittmann and Mark van Loosdrecht received the 2018 Stockholm Water Prize on Wednesday, for microbiological research and innovations that have revolutionized water and wastewater treatment.

The prize was presented to them by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, at a ceremony in Stockholm City Hall during World Water Week.

Professor Bruce Rittmann remarked that: “I view honours like the Stockholm Water Prize not as a ´happy ending´, but as a foundation to contribute in more and better ways. More than Mark and me, the true winner today should be Environmental Biotechnology, our powerful partnership with microorganisms. Human society needs the power of the human-microbe partnership. It can make our environment cleaner, generate truly renewable resources, and improve our health.”

The research of Bruce Rittmann from the USA and Mark van Loosdrecht from the Netherlands has contributed to the understanding of how microorganisms can transform organic pollutants to something of value to humans and the environment. This remarkable scientific achievement has led to the implementation across the globe of technologies which make it possible to remove harmful contaminants from water, cut wastewater treatment costs, reduce energy consumption, and even recover chemicals and nutrients for recycling.

In addition to their research efforts, both laureates have trained numerous engineers, scientists and academics who carry on and expand their legacy. Environmental biotechnology is now a rapidly growing field, of relevance to for example energy, materials, food and human health.

Professor Bruce Rittmann has written over 650 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Together with Professor Perry McCarty (the 2007 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate), he is also the author of the textbook Environmental Biotechnology: Principles and Applications. Professor Rittmann has chaired the Program Committee of the Leading Edge Technology Conference of the International Water Association, where he has worked together with Professor van Loosdrecht. The membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR), a technology that Dr. Rittmann invented, uses naturally occurring microorganisms to remove contaminants such as perchlorate and tricloroethene from water, and has been commercialized.

Dr. Rittmann has received many accolades during his career. These include being named a fellow of the International Water Association, National Academy of Inventors, and American Association for the Advancement of Science; and he is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Professor Mark van Loosdrecht’s research has led to the quite widely used Anammox and Nereda technologies for wastewater treatment. The Anammox process is a resource efficient way to remove nitrogen from wastewater. In industries it is used after anaerobic wastewater treatment while in municipal wastewater treatment it is used in combination with sludge digestion. In both cases this results in an energy producing treatment process. The Nereda technology is based on granulation of bacteria, which allows a simpler and cheaper municipal wastewater treatment process. A Nereda plant can be built on a smaller patch of land (>60 per cent less area need) and uses up to 50 per cent less energy than conventional methods. Recovery of high performance biopolymers from the ‘waste’ sludge will contribute to a future more circular economy.

Professor van Loosdrecht has been awarded several prizes, including the 2014 Spinoza Prize and the 2012 Lee Kuan Yew Prize. He is chief editor of the scientific journal Water Research and a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the Dutch and USA National Academies of Sciences.

The Stockholm Water Prize is a global award founded in 1991 and presented annually by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) to an individual, organization or institution for outstanding water-related achievements. H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is patron of the prize. The Stockholm Water Prize Founders, united in their strong conviction to drive sustainability in the water sector, are: Bacardi, Europeiska ERV, Poul Due Jensen Foundation, Ragn-Sells, Water Environment Federation, Xylem Inc., and Ålandsbanken.

29 August 2018: Two students from Singapore, Caleb Liow Jia Le and Johnny Xiao Hong Yu, won the 2018 Stockholm Junior Water Prize for producing reduced graphene oxide, a material that can be used to purify water, from agricultural waste products.

H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden presented the prize at an award ceremony during World Water Week in Stockholm.

In their project, Caleb Liow Jia Le and Johnny Xiao Hong Yu developed a new method to produce reduced graphene oxide (rGO), a material that has huge potential to purify water. Using durian rind and sugarcane bagasse the students found a more environmentally friendly and cheaper method for producing rGO.

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize goes to the winners of an international annual competition with more than 10,000 entries from all over the world. H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is the Patron of the prize.

As part of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize final, a Diploma of Excellence was awarded to Tatsuyoshi Odai and Narumi Sakamoto, two students from Japan. In their project they developed a system that produces food while purifying eutrophicated ponds with a combination of plants, nitrifying bacteria and fungi.

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize goes to the winners of an international annual competition with more than 10,000 entries from all over the world. The competition brings together young people between the ages of 15 and 20 who have conducted water-related projects of proven environmental, scientific, social or technological significance. This year, 48 national finalists from 32 countries competed in the international final held during World Water Week in Stockholm.

22 March 2018: Biotech pioneers Bruce Rittmann and Mark van Loosdrecht win 2018 Stockholm Water Prize Laureates for revolutionizing water and wastewater treatment.

By revolutionizing microbiological-based technologies in water and wastewater treatment Professors Mark van Loosdrecht and Bruce Rittmann have demonstrated the possibilities to remove harmful contaminants from water, cut wastewater treatment costs, reduce energy consumption, and even recover chemicals and nutrients for recycling. Their pioneering research and innovations have led to a new generation of energy-efficient water treatment processes that can effectively extract nutrients and other chemicals – both valuable and harmful – from wastewater.

Mark van Loosdrecht is Professor in Environmental Biotechnology at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. Bruce Rittmann is Regents’ Professor of Environmental Engineering and Director of the Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology at the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, USA.

The professors’ research has led to new processes for wastewater treatment currently being used around the globe. “Traditionally, we have just thought of pollutants as something to get rid of, but now we’re beginning to see them as potential resources that are just in the wrong place,” says Professor Rittmann. In his research he has studied how microorganisms can transform organic pollutants to something of value to humans and the environment. “We’re in the middle of a paradigm shift, with more and more focus on how we can create resources, using microbial systems,” he says.

Professor van Loosdrecht’s work echoes this sentiment. His research has led to increasingly common wastewater treatment processes that are less costly and more energy efficient than traditional methods. “With current technology, you can already be energy neutral and there is a lot of research on how to become energy positive. Especially in developing countries with unstable electricity supply and limited access to funding, this is very important. If we could build a wastewater plant that is self-sufficient in energy, that would make sewage plants feasible in many more places,” says Mark van Loosdrecht.

H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden will present the prize to Professors Rittmann and van Loosdrecht on behalf of H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Patron of Stockholm Water Prize, at a royal award ceremony on 29 August, during World Water Week in Stockholm.

20 December 2017: World Water Week is the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. It is organized in Stockholm by SIWI. In 2018, World Water Week from Sunday 26 till Friday 31 August 2018 will address the theme “Water, ecosystems and human development”.

In 2017, over 3,300 individuals and around 380 convening organizations from 135 countries participated in the Week. Experts, practitioners, decision-makers, business innovators and young professionals from a range of sectors and countries come to Stockholm to network, exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today. We believe water is key to our future prosperity, and that together, we can achieve a water wise world.

31 August 2017: Professor Stephen McCaffrey received the 2017 Stockholm Water Prize on Wednesday, for his unparalleled contribution to the evolution and progressive realization of international water law.

The prize was presented to Stephen McCaffrey by H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, at a ceremony in Stockholm City Hall during the ongoing World Water Week.

The Stockholm Water Prize Nominating Committee recognized Professor McCaffrey’s path-breaking leadership and legal scholarship in international water law. He has made a unique contribution in three specific areas: his seminal work on Treaty negotiation; his major scholarly works, including his book The Law of International Watercourses and; his leadership providing expert legal advice, wise counsel, training and facilitation of complex negotiations with a wide range of stakeholders.

30 August 2017: Two students from the USA, Ryan Thorpe and Rachel Chang, received the 2017 Stockholm Junior Water Prize for their novel approach to detect and purify water contaminated with Shigella, E. coli, Salmonella, and Cholera. H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden presented the prize at an award ceremony during World Water Week in Stockholm.

The students constructed a system that detects and purifies water contaminated with Shigella, E. coli, Salmonella, and Cholera more rapidly and sensitively than conventional methods. Their system detects as little as one reproductive bacteria colony per litre instantaneously and eliminates bacterial presence in approximately ten seconds. In contrast, conventional methods have detection limits of up to 1000 colonies and take one to two days. The students’ novel approach could prevent the contraction and outbreak of waterborne diseases and expand potable water throughout the world.

10 June 2017: The SIWI World Water Week is the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. In 2017, World Water Week from 27 August till 1 September will address the theme Water and Waste – Reduce and Reuse.

Experts, practitioners, decision-makers, business innovators and young professionals from a range of sectors and countries come to the World Water Week in Stockholm to network, exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today. The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) believes water is key to our future prosperity, and that together, we can achieve a water wise world.

The world’s most prestigious water award, Stockholm Water Prize, honours women, men and organizations whose work contributes to the conservation and protection of water resources, and to the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants. All who have made extraordinary water-related achievements are eligible.

Professor Stephen McCaffrey, USA, is named 2017 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate for his unparalleled contribution to the evolution and progressive realization of international water law.

Stephen McCaffrey, Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, in Sacramento, California, is the single most respected authority on International Water Law. His work continues to influence scholars, legal practitioners and policy-makers and contribute to the sustainable and peaceful management of shared waters.

Women play critical roles in all aspects of water governance, yet they are visibly missing from the water dialogue. Images of women as decision makers, water managers, effective water users and stewards are very hard to come by.

Through #WaterWomen we aim to collect images that illustrate these important roles and tell the stories of women as invaluable water managers, decision makers and users.

31 August 2016: Joan Rose, water quality champion, received the 2016 Stockholm Water Prize. Professor Joan B. Rose received the 2016 Stockholm Water Prize for her tireless contributions to global public health; by assessing risks to human health in water and creating guidelines and tools for decision-makers and communities to improve global wellbeing. The prize was presented to Joan Rose by H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, during a ceremony in Stockholm City Hall during the ongoing World Water Week.

Joan Rose is widely regarded as the world’s foremost authority on the microorganism Cryptosporidium. In 1993, the largest outbreak to date of the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium affected more than 400 000 people in Milwaukee, US, who got sick from contaminated drinking water. 69 people died in the outbreak. Cryptosporidium, which exists in both humans and animals, cannot be killed by chlorine, and lives for several months.

Professor Rose and her team, whom she calls “water detectives” investigate waterborne disease outbreaks globally, to determine how they can be stopped, and prevented. She was the first person to present the widespread occurrence of Cryptosporidium in water supplies in 1988.

30 August 2016: Three students from Thailand, Sureeporn Triphetprapa, Thidarat Phianchat and Kanjana Komkla, received the 2016 Stockholm Junior Water Prize on Tuesday for their innovative water retention device that mimics the water retention of the Bromeliad plant. H.R.H. Prince Carl Philip of Sweden presented the prize at an award ceremony during World Water Week in Stockholm.

By examining the efficacy of natural water collection by plants – especially in terms of the shape of plants that collect and capture water – Sureeporn Triphetprapa, Thidarat Phianchat and Kanjana Komkla built a device that mimics the water retention of the Bromeliad plant. The device has also been installed on rubber trees on rubber plantations. For this, they have been awarded the 2016 Stockholm Junior Water Prize, showcasing that nature is the best teacher.

The Jury was impressed by the winners, in particular their exceptional creativity, unrelenting diligence, enthusiasm and true passion for water.

23 September 2015: No one is left untouched after having listened to the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize winner Rajendra Singh, also known as the “Water man of India”. He is what most people would define as a true water hero.

Since 1991, Stockholm Water Prize has recognized 25 heroes from various fields and continents for their important water work. We know that the world is filled with enthusiasts like these, with a passion to building a better, water-wise world, in any way they can. We now want you to help us find our next water hero. Make sure to give your favourite the chance to win! Nominate in the simple form below. It will not take more than a minute. And do it now, deadlines for nominations is 25 September.

2015 is the target year for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Although considerable progress has been made, the targets to achieve improved access to key basic services during the first 15 years of this century will not be fully reached. About one billion people will still lack access to safe water and even more lack access to basic sanitation. About one billion people will still be without electricity and will go to bed hungry – largely the same underprivileged poor.

The challenge remains for the world community in 2015, to formulate, commit to and to urgently pursue a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Water is central to these challenges. Our lives and livelihoods, and that of all other living creatures, depend on water. Without it we cannot sustain a productive economy, live healthy lives or produce food, energy and other basic necessities and commodities.

World Water Week in Stockholm will continue to focus on these issues, and the vital role water plays in addressing them. From “water and food security” in 2012, “water cooperation” in 2013 and “water and energy” in 2014 and “water for development” in 2015.

Wie wordt de ‘Water Hero’ van 2016? Sinds 1991 heeft de organisatie van de World Water Week de Stockholm Water Prize uitgereikt aan 25 ‘waterhelden’ uit verschillende disciplines en werelddelen. Ook voor de volgende editie zoekt de organisatie enthousiaste professionals die met hun passie een voorbeeld zijn in de waterwereld. Het is tot 25 september mogelijk om personen te nomineren voor de titel.

Tijdens de World Water Week van 2015 won mr. Rajendra Singh de Stockholm Water Prize. Singh is de drijvende kracht achter innovatieve waterprojecten in India, waarbij drooggevallen watervoorzieningen worden hersteld en de waterveiligheid in belangrijke agrarische gebieden wordt gewaarborgd.

Zie ook: World Water Day: Drie indrukwekkende filmpjes ! – World Water Day: Water uit de kraan lijkt zo gewoon ! – Every drop counts: Naar een duurzame drinkwaterkringloop – Wereld Waterdag – Wat weet u over water ? – Nederlander Verbruikt 2,3 Miljoen Liter Water per Jaar – De Water Footprint en nog wat andere voetafdrukken – Wereld Waterdag – Wereld Waterdag in Nederland: Internationale Samenwerking 2.0 – Wandelen voor water – Prins van Oranje: ‘Samen in actie voor water en sanitatie’ – Prins van Oranje in Kenia voor Wereld Waterdag – Prins van Oranje bij Wereldwaterdag en Walk for Love of Water in Kaapstad – WINN Waterinnovatie Rijkswaterstaat: Anders Kijken naar Water – Het Water Kwartetspel: Duurzaam Geleerd Duurzaam Gedaan

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Erik van Erne zegt:

24 juli 2017 om 11:05 | Permalink

World Water Week Sets a Big Step Towards a Paperless Week

This year, the World Water Week will save 650,000 sheets of paper by making the full conference programme entirely digital. Building increasingly on digital resources also means that, for participants, there are now more ways than ever to access the different features of our programme.

The newly re-launched online programme offers participants the opportunity to browse the full conference programme before arriving in Stockholm. Participants also have the opportunity to favourite interesting events and download them to their personal calendar, allowing one to plan events, meetings and social outings well before arriving at the Week.

Registered participants can also use the newly launched World Water Week mobile application to set their schedule interactively and engage with other participants.
Erik van Erne zegt:

30 augustus 2017 om 13:16 | Permalink

At start of World Water Week, UN Assembly President says water and sanitation goals need ‘major push’

Water is a raging force that floods cities, and a scarce resource drought-stricken communities beg to have. At this year’s World Water Week, nations tackle ways to reuse water and reduce its wastage to help humanity live sustainably.

Encouraging global action to support clean water and sanitation, United Nations General Assembly President Peter Thomson today underscored that when it comes to the environment, everything is connected.

Anders Bekeken