World Water Week 2023
Online and in Stockholm
August 20 – 24
Theme: Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-Wise World
Stockholm World Water Week is a central annual event for urgent dialogues on water issues worldwide. Based on 35 years of thought leadership, the Pacific Institute was front and center in a series of events throughout the week. We aimed to utilize this platform to drive thought-provoking conversations and discuss innovative solutions to complex water challenges.
Building on the insights from the UN 2023 Water Conference and our commitment to the Water Action Agenda, we are dedicated to fostering new forms of collaboration. Our participation extended across a range of key issues, including financing water innovations, promoting collective action for water stewardship, and implementing nature-based solutions to strengthen urban climate resilience.
Learn more about our participation below.
SIWI Seminar: What Sparks and Fuels Innovations in Financing Water?
Featuring Cheryl Hicks, CEO Water Mandate Senior Advisor
Date: Sunday, August 20, 2023
Time: 11:00AM – 12:30PM CET
Location: Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre, C3
Convenors: Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), Global Water Intelligence (GWI), The World Bank
The session will address challenges and opportunities in scaling up water sector financing to accelerate SDG 6 achievement. It will explore the support needed for creating conducive conditions and innovative instruments and solutions. These discussions will align with the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework, which emphasizes optimized financing, capacity development, innovation, and governance.
Aligning and Accelerating Collective Action for Water Stewardship
Featuring Jason Morrison, Pacific Institute President & Head, CEO Water Mandate
Date: Sunday, August 20, 2023
Time: 2:00PM-3:30PM CET
Location: Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre, C3
Tackling the shared water challenges of SDG 6 requires private, public and civil society sectors to collaborate. Building on efforts from the UN Water Summit, this session will outline new efforts to align, advance and accelerate collective action for water stewardship in basins, including innovative models of collective funding and financing.
Activating the Innovation Accelerator of the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework
Featuring Cheryl Hicks, CEO Water Mandate Senior Advisor
Date: Sunday, August 20, 2023
Time: 4:00PM – 5:30PM CET
Location: Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre, C1
Conveners: UN-Water, GWP, CEO Water Mandate, World Bank Group, UN Innovation Network, UNICEF, UNDP, UNESCO, IHE, WWF
This session will focus on how to unite stakeholders in new forms of partnership through the lens of innovation to accelerate progress towards SDG 6. The session will highlight success factors from such partnerships already in existence to allow replication. It will be structured based on the process for innovation for the five accelerators of the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework. The session will explore commitments in the Water Action Agenda and see how to generate greater alignment on and commitment to innovation.
SIWI Seminar: Innovation for Water & Climate
Featuring Dr. Gregg Brill, Senior Researcher, Pacific Institute
Date: Monday, August 21, 2023
Time: 7:00PM-8:00PM CET
Location: Online
Conveners: World Resources Institute, India Climate Collaborative, Water Environment Land and Livelihood Labs, Human Right 2 Water
This session will explore a just transition to sustainable water systems in a way that promotes social equity and fairness. It will also address the role of innovation to ensure new technologies are sustainable and equitable. Presenters will additionally dive into innovative policies that can relieve disproportionate burdens on vulnerable communities.
Off-Site Event | WASH Benefits Accounting Framework: WASH4Work
Featuring Cheryl Hicks, CEO Water Mandate Senior Advisor
Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Time: 8:45AM-9:45AM CET
Location: Epicentre, Mäster Samuelsgatan 36, 111 57 Stockholm
Nature Based Solutions to Strengthen Urban Climate Resilience: Implementation Pathways
Featuring Dr. Gregg Brill, Senior Researcher, Pacific Institute
Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Time: 9:00AM-10:30AM CET
Location: Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre, A4
Conveners: Antea Group, BitaGreen/Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Enabel, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability-Africa, KfW Development Bank, Pacific Institute, UN Habitat, UNESCO Chair on Urban Resilience, World Resources Institute
This interactive session will bring together experts in urban planning and natural resources management to present best practices to overcome design and implementation challenges. Focusing on success factors and needs for an enabling environment, we will explore innovative pathways to improve implementation of NBS and work at the level of systems change.
Off-Site Event | Aligning and Accelerating Collective Action for Water Stewardship
Featuring Todd Player, Digital Technology Program Manager, Pacific Institute
Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Time: 10:00AM-11:30AM CET
Location: Epicentre, Mäster Samuelsgatan 36, 111 57 Stockholm
Conveners: WWF
Off-Site Event | Aqueduct 4.0 Launch
Featuring Todd Player, Digital Technology Program Manager, Pacific Institute
Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Time: 4:15PM-5:15PM CET
Location: Epicentre, Mäster Samuelsgatan 36, 111 57 Stockholm
Off-Site Event | Innovative Nature-based Solutions Tools to Support Water and Climate Resilience
Featuring Dr. Gregg Brill, Senior Researcher, Pacific Institute
Date: Thursday, August 24, 2023
Time: 10:15AM-11:15AM CET
Location: Online and Epicentre, Mäster Samuelsgatan 36, 111 57 Stockholm
Conveners: The Nature Conservancy, CEO Water Mandate, Pacific Institute, Forest Trends
This session will focus on science-based tools that can enhance the design and operation of Nature-based Solution programs. These tools address shared water challenges like riverine flooding, water pollution, drought, and stormwater. The presenters will demonstrate how these tools can be utilized in diverse global contexts.
Standardizing Methods for Evaluating Water Quality Benefits of Stewardship Activities
Featuring Dr. Gregg Brill, Senior Researcher, Pacific Institute
Date: Thursday, August 24, 2023
Time: 11:00AM – 12:30PM CET
Location: Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre, A2
Conveners: AB InBev, Amazon Web Services, Cargill Inc, Google, LimnoTech, Meta, Starbucks, The Coca-Cola Company, The Nature Conservancy, World Resources Institute
LimnoTech, The Nature Conservancy, and World Resources Institute will introduce standardized methods for evaluating water quality benefits of water stewardship activities. This Water Quality Benefit Accounting guidance is designed to be technically robust yet practical to implement around the globe. Session participants will provide feedback on the draft approach.
Off-Site Event | Science-Based Targets of Nature for Water: Implementation, Ecosystem, & Pathways (off-site side event)
Featuring Dr. Gregg Brill, Senior Researcher, Pacific Institute
Date: Thursday, August 24, 2023
Time: 12:45PM-2:15PM CET
Location: Epicentre, Mäster Samuelsgatan 36, 111 57 Stockholm
Conveners: WWF, CDP, The Nature Conservancy, World Resources Institute, CEO Water Mandate, Alliance for Water Stewardship, SBt Network
The recent launch of the first science-based targets (SBTs) for nature takes steps to address key needs in setting location-specific water targets and advancing corporate water stewardship. Building on efforts from the UN 2023 Water Conference, this interactive session will cover how SBTs for Freshwater interconnects with the existing guidance, initiatives, and standards designed to help companies with their water stewardship. Participants will also hear from companies piloting the SBTN’s target validation process. At this “Waterside Chat” companies will discuss the water-related journey, why they are setting freshwater targets, and the types of data and programs that prepared them.
Off-Site Event | Measuring the Impact of Nature-Based Programs to Address Water Stress
Featuring Dr. Gregg Brill, Senior Researcher, Pacific Institute
Date: Thursday, August 24, 2023
Time: 3:45PM-4:45PM CET
Location: Epicentre, Mäster Samuelsgatan 36, 111 57 Stockholm
Robust and innovative monitoring and measurement can help to understand whether solutions are truly having a quantifiable impact on watershed health. Corporate water stewardship programs often focus on water quantity or quality. This panel will challenge this approach and explore measuring progress across multiple indicators (biodiversity, climate, and socioeconomic impacts).