STOCKHOLM /PRNewswire/
--
World Water Week
closed on
Friday, with SIWI
urging climate negotiators
to ensure
that water is thoroughly
integrated in the global 2015 climate agreement.
World Water Week
- themed Water for Development - had 3,300 participants from 125
countries, representing governments, academia, civil society,
international organizations, the private sector, and many others.
Both World Water Week and Stockholm Water Prize celebrated its
25th jubilee.
SIWI's Executive
Director Torgny
Holmgren summarized the voices of the Week when he
said: "water is what binds together all the aspects of climate
change. Climate change is water change."
The impact of
climate change is felt through water, with flooding, erratic rain
patterns, pro-longed droughts, and other extreme weather
events.
Sweden's Minister
for Climate and Environment and Deputy Prime Minister,
Dr Asa
Romson, echoed SIWI's message: "If waters are not managed
properly and water resources management is not well integrated in
climate efforts, climate impacts will have a significant effect on
our societies - it is a challenge for all countries."
Dr Benedito
Braga, Secretary of State for Sanitation and Water Resources
for the state of Sao
Paulo in Brazil and
President of the World Water Council, said that "Water security is
probably the greatest human challenge of this century."
In a passionate
plea to negotiators in Paris,
the President of Marshall
Islands, Christopher J Loeak, said he was not sure if he
dared hope for the strongest possible wording in the climate
agreement, but said he expected the world to make a historic pledge
that would not only save his country, but also the world.
"It is of utmost
importance to integrate and address water in the global climate
discourse and this World Water Week has been an important platform
for such collaborative discussions towards Paris,"
Minister Asa
Romsonconcluded.
During the Week,
three prizes were awarded. The Stockholm Industry Water Award was
given to the Colorado-based
company CH2M. The Stockholm Junior Water Prize was awarded
to Perry
Alagappan from USA,
by H.R.H.
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
The Stockholm Water Prize was given to Rajendra
Singh by H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf, King
of Sweden.
Photos and
video: http://www.siwi.org/mediahub
About Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) http://www.siwi.org
About World Water Week: http://www.worldwaterweek.org
Press resources: http://www.worldwaterweek.org/pressroom
Contact: Britt-Louise
Andersson, Communications Director, SIWI, [email protected]