Stockholm World Water Week

Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-Wise World

The theme of the upcoming edition of Stockholm World Water Week 2023 is Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-Wise World”. As the organiser SIWI stated, this theme invites us to rethink how we manage water. Which ideas, innovations, and governance systems will we need in a more unstable and water-scarce world?

Solving global water challenges together

SWWW will contribute to the achievement of the commitments made at the United Nations 2023 Water Conference in March 2023. The Government of the Netherlands, as co-host of the UN 2023 Water Conference, is convening and co-convening several sessions and events in the follow up from this unique watershed moment for the world. 

Special focus will be on the Water Action Agenda which was adopted at the close of the UN 2023 Water Conference, a “milestone” action plan containing 800 commitments to protect “humanity’s most precious global common good”, water. The action agenda needs to accelerate change across all our sectors, industries and interests, uniting nations, stakeholders and professionals to help deliver on the water actions in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Water needs to remain at the heart of the Global political agenda.

As in previous years, representatives of the Government of the Netherlands will work together with other active participants of both the private and public segments of the Dutch water sector at Stockholm World Water Week 2023. The Netherlands Pavilion at this event (booth 4.01) plays a central part in this and will act as a lively meeting point: a place to meet and greet Dutch and international water experts and share knowledge and expertise through presentations and discussions.

Programme highlights of Dutch contributions

The Netherlands government and the Dutch water sector are well presented at the SWWW. We have compiled an overview with highlights of Dutch contributions:

 

Monday 21 August

Regional Innovations in Valuing Water
Time: 11:00 - 12:30  Location: On-site (A3) and online

This session will build on the outcomes of the UN 2023 Water Conference with a particular focus on commitments made on valuing water within the context of the Water Action Agenda. It will highlight the innovative elements to these commitments, and examine what is needed to ensure effective rollout and implementation. 

Conveners: Government of the Netherlands, Deltares, Global Water Partnership, International Water Management Institute

 

Launch of the Heads of State Initiatives

Time: 15:00 - 17:00  Location: Closed Meeting, on invitation only. 
 
The Government of the Netherlands and partners UNICEF, SWA, and IRC WASH are committed to supporting Heads of State or Governments to develop and implement Presidential Compacts which include water, sanitation, and hygiene. At a high-level meeting during the UN Water Conference, several Heads of State committed to prioritize the water and sanitation sector and to achieve the water and sanitation goals (SDG 6.1 and 6.2). 

During this meeting ministers and heads of government delegations will report on their Presidential Compacts.

Conveners: Government of the Netherlands, UNICEF, SWA and IRC WASH 

 

The follow-up of the ‘regional innovation in valuing water’ session

Time: 17:00 - 18:00  Location: Netherlands meeting room #25

This session is a follow-up upon the morning session "‘Regional innovation in valuing water" at 11.00. During the session participants will have an opportunity to continue the conversation and ask questions. 

Convenors: Carlos Estevez and Raimond Hafkenscheid. Valuing Water Initiative (Netherlands Enterprise Agency/RVO)

More info: Valuing Water Initative

 

Tuesday 22 August

High-Level Panel: Follow-up on the UN 2023 Water Conference
Time: 09:00 - 10:30  Location: On-site (A1) and online 

World Water Week plays an important role in driving collective action. For the sixth time, SIWI is organizing this high-level stocktaking moment and this year's focus is on the UN 2023 Water Conference and the recent High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

We have invited global leaders and key stakeholders to discuss the commitments made so far and new attempts to speed up action.  

Conveners: Government of the Netherlands, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)

 

Innovative tools and approaches for the management of hydro-climatic risks

Time: 09:00 - 10:00  Location: Netherlands meeting room #25

Conveners: World Bank Group and Deltares

 

Financial innovation to unlock universal access to WASH – stories from the field

Time: 13:30-14:30  Location: Netherlands Pavilion, booth 4.01 

Building a sustainable WASH service chain to unlock universal access starts locally. What type of partnerships are needed, which multi-stakeholder approaches have been tested, what lessons have we learned, and how are we scaling up? Sharing knowledge and experiences from the field, WASTE will gather its local partners, experts in catalytic investment, and SMEs in a Panel discussion and networking session with a focus on our programs in Asia and Africa. This session is for Entrepreneurs, funders, multilateral agencies, development partners, technology providers for WASH, investors, capacity building providers.

Conveners: Carolina Latorre, Senior Programmes Manager, WASTE, Stephen Birungi, FINISH Mondial-Uganda, Pamela Kabasinguzi, FINISH Mondial-Uganda, John Mathai, Take-a-Stake

 

Addressing Water Scarcity and Quality through Sustainable Cost-Recovery Systems: An Interactive Case Study

Time: 14:00-15:00  Location: Netherlands meeting room #25

In this interactive session, we will talk about socially inclusive cost recovery systems for financing climate-resilient WASH. In the face of climate change, water scarcity and quality are pressing problems that need innovative and inclusive solutions. First, we will briefly discuss the different elements of a cost recovery system for WASH services that also take into account social inclusion, different levels and contexts in which cost recovery systems can be applied, the do’s and don’ts of developing and upscaling local social inclusive cost recovery systems. Then, for the greater part of the sessions, we will in break-out groups work on a challenge in the fictive country of Almiria. 

Conveners: Simavi Nepal

 

Water Pricing: valuing and allocating water in Awash Basin Ethiopia

Time: 16:00 – 16:30  Location: Online, Session ID 11236

Young expert, Joy Pengel, talks about a case on the Water Agreement and water allocation planning in the Awash basin (Ethiopia).

Conveners: Dutch Water Authorities

 

World Café’s Stockholm World Water Week by Wavemakers United 

Time: 17:00 – 18:30  Location: Netherlands Pavilion

We will explore how the private sector, NGOs, governments, and knowledge institutions can follow through on several commitments from the water action agenda by supporting initiatives from international students and startups in further developing their Gamechanger for water. Emilie Sturm, program director of the Blue Deal will join the panel discussion.

Due to limited capacity, we kindly request you to pre-register for this event.

Access will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. You will receive a confirmation from us.

Conveners: Wavemakers United, with contributions from former Dutch Water Envoy Henk Ovink and incoming Water Envoy Meike van Ginneken

 

Wednesday 23 August

Information and Network session on Heads of State Initiatives  

Time: 10:00- 11:00  Location: Netherlands Pavilion, booth 4.01 

The Government of the Netherlands and partners UNICEF, SWA and IRC WASH are kindly inviting all interested participants to join us at this information and network meeting. Representatives of countries working on Presidential WASH Compacts as well as representatives from partners will be present and will be happy to answer your questions related to the Heads of State Initiatives. 

More info: Sanitation and Water for All  

 

Catalysing private capital for WASH

Time: 11:00- 12:00  Location: Netherlands meeting room #25

WASH could offer a sustainable financing opportunity to a wide range of funders, from microfinance to SMEs. With SMEs contributing to more than one third of the GDP and accounting for 75% of formal employment, they offer a real opportunity to investors looking for having role in the sustainability race. WASTE and partners, through its programmes FINISH Mondial and Take-a-Stake will showcase results from current blended and innovative finance tools to support SMEs in their journey towards creditworthiness. In a working style session, this meeting will gather key stakeholders together to discuss the opportunities, drivers and challenges to scale up from current investment levels to bridge the financial gap to universal access for water and sanitation -because catalysing private capital for WASH is not only about financing. This session is for entrepreneurs, funders, multilateral agencies, development partners, technology providers for WASH, investors, capacity building providers.

Conveners: Carolina Latorre, Senior Programmes Manager, WASTE. Sarbani Bhattacharya, Chair of the Supervisory Board of FINISH Mondial, Kajetan Hetzer, Executive Director, WASTE & Programme Director of the Take-a-Stake Fund Initiative

 

UN Water Conference: From voluntary commitments to impact
Time: 14:00 - 15:30  Location: On-site (A4) and online, Meeting session ID 11510

Last March, the world’s leaders gathered in New York for the UN 2023 Water Conference. In this session, we will discuss the results of the Conference, and talk about the follow-up on the Water Action Agenda and what is necessary to keep water on the global political agenda: From voluntary commitments to impact. Luzette Kroon, chair of the Blue Deal Steering Committee will join the panel discussion.

Conveners: Government of the Netherlands, Republic of Tajikistan, UN-Water

 

Youth engagement in global water processes: building an influential movement
Time: 16:00 - 17:30  Location: On-site (C4) and online

Bringing together voices from various generations and countries, this session will identify the key impact and role of youth in the international spaces, from the 9th World Water Forum to the UN 2023 Water Conference, and set a roadmap towards the 10th World Water Forum in Bali.

Convenors: International Secretariat for Water, Sanitation and Water for All, Wavemakers United, Valuing Water Secretariat, the Netherlands, International Association of students in Agricultural and related Sciences, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Swiss Water Partnership Youth, Water Youth Network, World Youth Parliament for Water

 

Thursday 24 August

Brainstorming session on actively supporting student and startup innovation within the water sector by Wavemakers United 

The goal of this session is to advance commitments to the Water Action Agenda.

Due to limited capacity, we kindly request you to pre-register for this event.

Access will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. You will receive a confirmation from us.

Time: 14:00 – 16:00  Location: Netherlands Pavilion, booth 4.01

Convenors: Wavemakers United

Registration

You can join the conference both online and in Stockholm, Sweden. The vast majority of sessions will be accessible online. To make World Water Week more inclusive, online participation in 2023 is free of charge. Registration is required. If you have any questions about the Dutch contribution to the Stockholm World Water Week, please contact Marieke Leenhouts at m.leenhouts@nwp.nl.

The Netherlands Pavilion and meeting room at Stockholm World Water Week 2023 are supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, and the Partners for Water Programme, operated by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). They have contracted NWP to coordinate and host the Netherlands Pavilion and meeting room programming.