dws-sww2016-valkommen-770pxNext week the World Water Week 2016 will take place in Stockholm, Sweden. A strong Dutch delegation will contribute to many sessions on solving the global water issues that the water community should address.

Later in the week four Dutch non-governmental organisations, Simavi, IRC, Akvo and Wetlands International will launch the Watershed programme.

Sustainable water use
The Watershed programme aims at water providers, governments and private sector taking their responsibility not to degrade watershed areas by drawing out too much water.

In a strategic partnership with the Dutch Ministry of foreign affairs, the organisations join hands to increase the sustainability of water, sanitation and hygiene services in six specific countries: Kenya, Uganda, Mali, Ghana, Bangladesh and India.

The Watershed programme will take up the challenge to meet the targets of universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) by 2030.

dws-sww2016-ovink-350px  Dutch special water envoy Henk Ovink during the 2015 jubilee edition.

Other key issues
The main topic on the agenda of this year's edition of the Stockholm World Water Week is the progress on achieving the Sustainable development goal no.6 on water by 2030.

This year the United Nations wants to adopt the indicators - and the accompanying data collection and monitoring systems - that will be needed to measure the achievements.

Another issue concerns the future architecture of the governmental and global water institutions to take responsibility for achieving the SDG6 goal.

High level water panel
One of the platforms involved in this discussion is the (HLWP) that has been installed by the United Nations in April this year. This panel is formed by 10 head of states, including Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte.

Each head of state has appointed a representative (sherpa) and for the Netherlands this is special water envoy Henk Ovink who will participate in many sessions in Stockholm.

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Dutch delegation
To get insight of the Dutch contribution, see the special SWWW page on this website with a day by day programme overview.

Stay tuned as news items on this website will keep you posted on these Dutch contributions.

Read also on this website
Stockholm Water Week 2015: A look back on the stepping stone to New York and Paris, 4 September 2015
Stockholm Water Week 2014: Photo coverage highlighting some remarkable Dutch contributions

More information
Stockholm World Water Week
www.worldwaterweek.org