Événements

World Water Week is hosted and organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and takes place each year in Stockholm. The World Water Week has been the annual focal point for the globe's water issues since 1991. This year it is being held from 26 to 31 August, 2012.

Each year the World Water Week addresses a particular theme to enable a deeper examination of a specific water-related topic. While not all events during the week relate to the overall theme, the workshops driven by the Scientific Programme Committee and many seminars and side events do focus on various aspects of the theme. The themes change each year, but each fits within a broader "niche" that covers several years. The grouping of themes within a niche is designed to develop a long-term perspective on a broad yet significant water and development issue. It also ensures that each year builds upon the previous years' outcomes and findings.

The current niche for 2009-2012 is "Responding to Global Changes", which looks at the potential and necessary responses in water policy, management and development to address pervasive and increasingly impacting global changes. The themes within the current niche are:

•    2009: Accessing Water for the Common Good
•    2010: The Water Quality Challenge
•    2011: Water in an Urbanising World
•    2012: Water and Food Security

 Increasing imbalances in the world’s water and food security situation are unfolding. The differences between those who have access to plenty of food, for whom water seldom is an issue, and those who are less provided for are obvious. Areas with high population growth face severe problems associated with poverty and low adaptive capacity. In addition, climate change is increasing the unpredictability of rainfall, the rate of evapotranspiration and the occurrence of extreme events. In a situation where the competition for water is getting stiffer, these changes are making food production, including fisheries and aquaculture, riskier and more uncertain.

The drama in the landscape is increasing socio-economic and political tensions. During recent years, prices on agricultural and energy inputs have risen and are becoming increasingly volatile, adding a new challenge to farmers and to food security aspirations. The era of low prices is over, affecting producers and consumers in positive as well as negative ways.

 The Water week will organize several workshops which will include:

•    Best use of blue water resources for food security;
•    Safeguarding global food security and life supporting ecosystems;
•    Rainfed production under growing rain variability: closing the yield gap;
•    Securing water and food in an urbanised world;
•    Towards a green economy – the water-food- energy nexus;
•    Trade and food security;
•    Health and Food Security;
•    Governance for water and food security.

To read more about the upcoming water week, visit the official webpage or download the 1:st Announcement (PDF).

Contact point for CCAFS at this event is Mr. Vladimir Smaktha of the CGIAR International Water Management Institute (IWMI).