Starting in 2019, the event will move to Tele2 Arena in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.   

According to the organiser, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), Tele Arena 2 had been selected as the new venue with the intention of creating a more inclusive World Water Week village.

A press statement signed by Rowena Barber, an official of SIWI, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said Tele2 Arena not only makes it possible for more people to attend, it also allows for more flexibility and networking opportunities.

“As issues of water scarcity and variability take hold all over the world, we want to ensure that World Water Week continues to evolve,” says Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director, SIWI in the statement.

At its core, World Water Week is a collaborative learning experience. Some 3300 participants from more than 130 countries come to Stockholm each year to exchange knowledge, network and develop solutions to the world’s most pressing water-related challenges.

This year, nearly 400 organisations convened sessions.

During the nearly week-long conference next year, participating academics, policy makers, practitioners, private sector actors and young professionals can attend over 250 sessions of different forms, in addition to many informal events and meetings that take place in the margins and off-site.

Highlights of the Week include the awarding of the Stockholm Water Prize, presented by H.M. King Carl XVI, Gustaf of Sweden and the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, presented by H.R.H Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.

“We don’t plan to increase the number of sessions, but we do want to increase engagement from outside the water community. This is essential if we are to take a holistic look at the global water picture and develop solutions that will work,” says Gabriella Suhoschi, Director, World Water Week and Prizes, SIWI.

Tele2 Arena, managed by the Stockholm Live event group, was a natural venue partner, with excellent access to public transport, accommodation options and restaurants.  So far, the arena has mainly been used for concerts and sports games, but there is a strong interest from the venue to be part of the Week.

“We are delighted and proud that SIWI is choosing Tele2 Arena as the venue for its incredibly important global event. It’s great that SIWI sees the potential of our larger arenas as venues for this type of conference,” says Marie Lindqvist, Executive Director, Stockholm Globe Arenas.

Plans are underway for the move, which will require a rethink of many of the logistical aspects of the event.

Background 

The idea that became SIWI stems from three linked events in Stockholm in 1991. The Stockholm Water Festival invited the public to celebrate water on the streets of Stockholm, the Stockholm Water Symposium gathered some one hundred scientists to discuss global water challenges, and the Stockholm Water Prize, under the patronage of H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, was awarded for the first time, in recognition of outstanding achievements in water-related activities.

World Water Week, a further development of Stockholm Water Symposium, is today the world’s leading annual water event and the Stockholm Water Prize the most prestigious water award.

During its 28 years of existence, World Water Week has grown from a two-day seminar, attended by some 100 people during the Stockholm Water Festival, to become the pre-emptive event for the international water community. 

In coming years, it aims to reach even more sectors in the effort of water conversation.