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World Water Week is deeply rooted in Stockholm’s long tradition of environmental leadership and international engagement. From its early beginnings, Stockholm has provided a natural home for dialogue on water, sustainability, and development, offering a credible space where science, policy, and practice meet.
This local grounding strengthens the global relevance of World Water Week. By convening international actors in Stockholm, the Week connects global agendas with national experience and reinforces SIWI’s role as Sweden’s international water institute.
The City of Stockholm was an early supporter of SIWI’s water initiatives and remains a close partner in World Water Week. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to environmental stewardship, innovation, and international dialogue.
Through the Week, Stockholm strengthens its position as a global sustainability hub, while local leadership helps anchor the event in public values and long-term ambition.
Sweden has a long-standing reputation for leadership in environmental policy and sustainable development. Swedish institutions, agencies, researchers, civil society organizations, and companies participate actively in World Water Week, contributing knowledge and experience to global discussions.
SIWI supports this engagement by connecting Swedish actors with international policy and practice, strengthening Sweden’s contribution to global water governance.
World Water Week enhances Stockholm’s international profile as a centre for sustainability and innovation. It brings global visibility and collaboration opportunities to Swedish actors while demonstrating how local experience can inform global water solutions.
The Stockholm Water Foundation played an important role in the early development of water initiatives in Stockholm, including the Stockholm Water Symposium, which contributed to the evolution of what became World Water Week. The Foundation administers two internationally recognized awards under royal patronage: the Stockholm Water Prize and the Stockholm Junior Water Prize.
The Stockholm Water Prize has been awarded annually since 1991 to individuals and organizations for extraordinary achievements in water-related research, policy, and practice. The Prize is presented by the Stockholm Water Foundation in collaboration with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, with H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden serving as official patron and presenter. Each year’s Laureate is announced around World Water Day in March and formally honored during a royal ceremony at World Water Week in August, where the Laureate plays a central role in the Week’s programme.
The Stockholm Junior Water Prize, established in 1997, is awarded to young innovators through national competitions held around the world. Finalists are selected through a rigorous evaluation process by an international jury of water experts, and the Prize is presented by its patron, H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, during World Water Week. The competition has helped inspire future water leaders, with many former participants going on to careers in science, innovation, and the water sector.
Together, these prizes remain central features of World Water Week, highlighting excellence, innovation, and the importance of water knowledge in shaping policy, practice, and future leadership.