World Water Week in Stockholm concentrates on water reuse

The official theme of the World Water Week in Stockholm (23-28 August) is Water for Development. To achieve this development the 3.000 water professionals in Sweden seem to be focusing on water reuse. The Indian water man Rajendra Singh received the Stockholm Water Prize for his projects of harvesting rainwater. The Stockholm Industry Water Prize went to the American engineering company CH2M for the acceptance of turning toilet water into tap water.

Rajendra Singh emphasized the importance of solving water issues. Only if we can provide everyone with drinking water and proper sanitation we are able to achieve world peace. Singh started in Stockholm, together with hundreds of delegates with a World Water Peace Walk. The walk is meant to understand the global complexity of water issues and from now on the initiative will take place every five years.

Water problems
This week, in Stockholm, leaders in water and development seek solutions to world’s water crises. During the opening the President of the Marshall Islands, Christopher Loeak asked for help: “We are a country contemplating a future where we are literally being wiped off the map of the world. As the leader of my country I cannot look my people in the eyes and with good conscience say that everything will be ok, when I know the world continues to travel down a very destructive path.” Abdulla Ensour, the prime minister of Jordan, described the extreme pressure his country is under due to the combination of water scarcity and a very large refugee population, and emphasized the importance of regional cooperation over water.

More information:
www.worldwaterweek.org