REPORT
Shweta Tyagi*
“Almost half of the world’s human population relies heavily on groundwater for survival, and as that population continues to grow, many more people will come to depend on this water source.” Gabriela Suhoschi, Director, World Water Week and Prizes, SIWI
There is a lot more water in the planet than what we can see in our local rivers, lakes, and oceans. Water that we may not be able to see is also a part of the hydrological cycle and is very important to our efforts to achieve a sustainable future. The significance of this “invisible water” is one of the key issues that were covered at World Water Week in 2022 held from August 23 through September 1 at Stockholm.
This year the theme was “Seeing the Unseen: The Value of Water.” The focus of the theme was three key areas:
- The importance of water for human health and development;
- The value of water in relation to the environment and climate change;
- The value of water in terms of economics and finance.
The conference paid special attention to groundwater, soil moisture, and atmospheric water, collectively referred to as “invisible water,” which are difficult to see with the human eye, making them frequently forgotten—even by water experts—and their potential underutilized. It emphasized on the need to change, in light of the current global water crisis if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 6, focusing on providing everyone with access to clean water and sanitation and create a more inclusive and better future for all.
SDG6, groundwater management, World Toilet Day in 2023, the interconnectedness of water and sanitation in all facets of human society development, the role of developing countries, and the UN Water Conference in 2023 were some of the major topics that were discussed and explored during the event in a variety of formats, including workshops, panels, presentations, storytelling competitions, and more.
The event upwelled the current global food crisis with over 50 million people experiencing severe food insecurity, mostly as a result of drought, in East Africa, European and American regions and reports from UNCCD suggest better water management and land restoration as the most feasible alternatives because if left forsaken, over 75% of the world’s population could be impacted by 2050.
Another major highlight of World Water Week is the Royal Award ceremony. This year in the junior category Camily Pereira dos Santos and Laura Nedel Drebes were awarded upon developing biodegradable sanitary napkins from plant waste which can lessen plastic pollution and stop water waste.
The Stockholm Water Prize was conferred upon Dr. Wilfried Brutsaert, popularly referred to as Mr. Evaporation in the hydrology field, acknowledging his work on invisible water, particularly groundwater and evaporation.
Participants from various countries shared their experiences illustrating the difficulties the rapid change in water is posing to their communities. The flooding in Pakistan, the food crisis in Africa, and the drying rivers of Europe are just a few examples of extreme disasters that were discussed extensively. India, too shared its experience by shedding light on National Mission for Ganga’s “Arth-Ganga model” of successful valuing of rivers for people and development. The model aims to achieve a symbiotic relationship between nature-society, by strengthening the people-river connect which is being implemented through development of natural farming along with a move towards decentralized governance.
Dr. Lan Wang-Erlandsson from Stockholm Resilience Centre, remarked that the theme of this year’s World Water Week “hits the nail right on the head” and others appeared to concur that the theme was truly topical. But several speakers also emphasized that there are significantly more solutions than are typically reflected in the conversation and here are a few key takeaways ahead of 2023, a crucial year for water.
- There are more solutions than most people think
Investing in sanitation, regenerative farming, water-smart city planning, early-warning systems, and watershed restoration are a few of the answers that might help lessen the effects of droughts, floods, and storms around the world.
- We need transformations rather than just problem solving
“Profound societal shifts are required to confront the interconnected climate, water, and biodiversity problems in a way that leaves no one behind,” the conference stressed.
- Everyone must participate in the transitions to enable real change, especially women and young people.
To enable “radical and inclusive transformations” that will help us reach the SDGs, water must be at the top of the global agenda.
- A new relationship with nature is required, one in which water is viewed holistically and the interdependence of freshwater, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems is acknowledged.
The World Water Week provides an international forum for networking and collaboration as well as one-of-a-kind opportunities to interact with people from all around the globe and learn first-hand about their experiences and demonstrates that despite unsettling trends like the rise of polarization, wars, and tensions worldwide, we have the power to steer the world towards a more sustainable trajectory and that working as a community can be crucial to bring about change. But for that, it is imperative that we induce a fresh perspective about what is achievable and a common understanding of the objectives we hope to accomplish.
*Chief Functionary, India Water Foundation
