STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN -- By 2025, another 2.5 billion humans will inhabit a planet where many already lack safe drinking water, have inadequate sanitation, live in water-scarce or food-short countries, and are increasing water consumption and pollution at unsustainable rates.
Timed to coincide with the 2000 World Water Week (Aug. 13-19), the Stockholm Water Symposium opened today in Stockholm, to look for solutions, highlight achievements, and inspire future leaders in the effort to improve the picture of drinking water for the world.
The tenth annual symposium, "Water Security for the 21st Century - Innovative Approaches," Aug. 14-17, will grapple with water-related problems due to population growth, urbanization and industrialization. More than 800 professionals representing governments, business and industry, academia, institutions and non-governmental organizations in over 100 countries are expected to attend.
Noted actors in the environmental area such as Dr. Lester R. Brown, president of the Worldwatch Institute, will speak, and key issues such as education and the feminization of water will focus on finding solutions to critical issues.
International organizations - among them the Global Water Partnership, United Nations Development Program, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development - are participating as co-conveners.
Sunday, the SIWI Seminar for Young Professionals, entitled "Hydrosolidarity - Intergenerational Challenges," covered the politics of water. Other seminars included the Sida/UNDP/SIWI Seminar, "Ecological Sanitation in a Recycling Society," and the Aral Sea Seminar, "Water Security - Opportunity for Development and Cooperation in the Aral Sea Area."
The Stockholm Junior Water Prize international award and competition culminates in Stockholm when an outstanding water science research project by a young person (or group) is selected from among 18 participating countries on August 15. HRH Crown Princess Victoria is Patron of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize. Also, a panel debate on water security entitled "The Intergenerational Hydrosolidarity Dimension" will air.
HM King Carl XVI Gustaf will present the $150,000 Stockholm Water Prize to South African Kader Asmal on Aug. 17 in the Stockholm City Hall. Asmal, South Africa's Minister of Education, is receiving the prize in recognition of his unprecedented efforts in the development of vision, legislation and practice in the field of water management in South Africa.
Full Symposium program details are athttp://www.siwi.org.
Aug. 16, officials will present the 2000 Stockholm Industry Water Award to Northumbrian Water Limited, a water and wastewater treatment provider for Northeastern England. The Stockholm Water Foundation, Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and World Business Council for Sustainable Development are awarding the first annual water award for Northumbrian Water's successful integration of state-of-the-art technology and regional industrial and legislative bodies into a new wastewater treatment strategy that enabled itself and neighbouring industrial companies to meet EU regulations, produced useful end products, brought a dramatic improvement to the quality of the River Tees and proved to be energy- and environmentally-effective.
The award recognizes innovative corporate development of water and wastewater process technologies as well as contributions to environmental improvement through improved performance in production processes.
Also Aug. 16, the Founders Seminar will cover "Water Security for the 21st Century - Roles, Responsibilities and Opportunities for Industry."
The symposium has a closing session on Aug. 17 with presentation of the Swedish Baltic Sea Water Award 2000 by Trade Minister Leif Pagrotsky and the Stockholm Water Prize Award Ceremony.
The final seminar, entitled "Water Security for Multinational Water Systems - Opportunity for Development," is scheduled for Aug. 18.
