Stockholm International Water Institute

Independent and Leading-Edge Water Competence for Future-Oriented Action

The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) is a policy institute whose diverse Stockholm-based, internationally-oriented programmes and activities contribute to finding sustainable solutions to the world’s escalating water crisis. SIWI manages projects, synthesises research and publishes findings and recommendations on current and future water, environment, governance and human development issues. SIWI serves as a platform for knowledge sharing and networking between the scientific, business, policy and civil society communities. SIWI builds professional capacity and understanding of the links between water-society-environment-economy.

In all of its work, SIWI advocates future-oriented, knowledge-integrated water views in decision making, nationally and internationally, that lead to sustainable use of the world’s water resources, sustainable development of societies and reduced poverty. SIWI stresses that water is a key to socio-economic development and quality of life, and that through Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), barriers which hinder increased food production, drinking water availability, sanitation coverage, health advances, pollution prevention and poverty reduction can be overcome.

By creating opportunities for dialogue and collaboration between water experts and decision makers, SIWI stimulates the development of innovative policies and scientifically based solutions to water-related problems. This is necessary in order to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals and the water-related targets which were agreed upon at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

Internationally active, politically neutral, and intellectually objective, SIWI welcomes opportunities for collaboration with partners across the world.

SIWI advocates future-oriented, knowledge-integrated water views in decision making, nationally and internationally, that lead to sustainable use of the world’s water resources, sustainable development of societies and reduced poverty. Below is a listing of key issues which are a focus of SIWI’s work:

Climate Change, because natural climate variability in combination with human induced climate change risk worsening the situation especially for those living in poverty today. Infrastructure investments may strengthen coping capacity but planning for unexpected changes in all levels of society is crucial.

Transboundary Water Issues, because transboundary water conflicts result more often in co-operative outcomes than violent ones. To institutionalise well-functioning co-operation requires support from 3rd parties, which are aware both of the political context and the long time frames required.

Middle East Water Issues, because the water scarcity in the Middle East is both a result of physical scarcity as well as a scarcity of good water governance structures.

Sanitation, because if we do not act and address the sanitation crisis we will not achieve the Millennium Development Goals as sanitation is significantly interlinked with child mortality, maternal health, primary education, gender equality, poverty reduction, hunger and environmental sustainability. Water is life – sanitation is Dignity.

Water Scarcity, because water may be scarce due to lack of rain, lack of streams, springs or wells or due to many people competing for the same small amount within a region.

Food, Waste and Losses, because reductions in waste and losses in the food chain is one of the most rational ways to ease pressure on water and land resources. Food production for growing populations will have to rely on rainfed agriculture or on food import from better water-endowed regions.

Business and Finance, because the private sector produces essential goods and services for human development, and with the right incentives, legislation and economic instruments in place, it can do so without jeopardizing water and environmental sustainability. The financial sector can drive development patterns by stringent lending conditions and needs to be more creative in developing financial tools (microcredits, microinsurances) to support poor people in their development and coping capacity following increased natural catastrophes.

Anti-corruption in the water sector, because the global water crisis is a crisis of governance and corruption affects the governance of water by affecting who gets what water when, where and how.

In 1991, the first Stockholm Water Symposium was arranged by Stockholm Vatten AB, the municipal water and wastewater provider, on behalf of the City of Stockholm, and aimed at research scientists, civil servants, politicians and other decision-makers working with water. That same year, the Stockholm Water Prize, an international USD 150,000 award, was presented for the first time by the Stockholm Water Foundation (SWF), which was established in 1990 by the City of Stockholm and a number of Swedish companies. In 1994 the SWF created the Stockholm Junior Water Prize and in 2000 the Stockholm Industry Water Award was established by SWF together with the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) was formed in 1997 as an interim organisational unit linked to Stockholm Vatten AB.  SIWI’s task was to take responsibility for the planning, administration and implementation of the Stockholm Water Symposium, administer the Stockholm Water Prize, the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, the Stockholm Industry Water Award (from 2000), and also the Swedish Baltic Sea Water Award (established by the Swedish government in 1999).

Since 1997 SIWI’s portfolio has grown and expanded. The World Water Week in Stockholm – the successor to the Stockholm Water Symposium – has grown into the leading annual, future-oriented meeting for experts on cross-sectoral, inter-disciplinary water, environment and development issues. More than 2000 participants from 100-plus countries represent governments, local authorities, international organisations, business, stakeholder organisations and NGOs in Stockholm, and more than 140 international organisations are active as convenors and co-convenors during the week.

SIWI’s project and long-term institutional arrangements have also developed. Since 2003 SIWI has been responsible for the Swedish Water House initiative, on behalf of Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Sustainable Development. The purpose is to work with various Swedish bodies to strengthen collaboration between them and to increase interest in and involvement within international water issues. Since 2005, SIWI also has responsibility for the UNDP Water Governance Facility at SIWI. Also since 2005, SIWI’s project-related work has developed to include “help desk” support to the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency’s work, including support to the European Commission’s work on the EU Water Initiative and strategically important topics and areas, including issues related to anti-corruption in the water sector, transboundary water management, and the Middle East/North Africa region.

Capacity Building activities in the form of large number of Sida International Training Programmes that SIWI carried out together with Ramböll Natura have been implemented by SIWI since 2005.

In June 2008, SIWI has been legally separated from Stockholm Vatten AB and incorporate its operations into the registered not-for-profit Stockholm Water Foundation.