Swedish Water House
Building Networks for Water Sustainability
The Swedish Water House supports international policy development and co-operation through knowledge generation and dissemination and partnership building primarily within the areas of sustainable river basin management and integrated water resources management.
Mobilizing competence to support international processes
The Swedish Water House (SWH) increases Swedish support and engagement in international water and development processes. SWH was announced at the 2nd World Water Forum in The Hague and was established in 2003. It stems from the Swedish Government`s commitment to contribute to the implementation of agreed actions from the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development and other international conferences in order to reach the UN Millennium Development Goals and other relevant international targets.
The SWH will operate by building networks between, for instance, governments, stakeholder organizations, scientific institutions, NGOs and international organizations, and mobilizes competence to support international water processes and problem solving. By promoting actions through networks and project clusters, it serves as a link between practice, science, policy making and decision making in the search for sustainable water resources management strategies.
The SWH utilizes a network of partners who provide expertise on a wide range of water issues and share knowledge with national and international organizations. The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) has established the Swedish Water House and it is funded initially by the Swedish Ministries of Environment and Foreign Affairs.
Solving water issues requires broad co-operation
Pressure on the world`s water resources is increasing. Population growth and distribution, changing consumption and production patterns, trade policies, and socio-economic development in general all has an influence on water resources. Pollution, which degrades the chemical and biological properties of water, land use and human manipulation of the landscape modify its natural flows and add to existing stresses.
Measures that reduce or prevent further stress on water resources and reverse the ongoing, negative trend should be seen as critical investment opportunities rather than costs to society. Knowledge of possible remedies, however, must be linked to a will to act. The vastly diverse water community, among many others, plays a very important role. This role is not confined to scientific monitoring, analysis and interpretation, or to finding technical solutions. It also includes proposing comprehensive recommendations for future actions and needs in much broader societal terms, as freshwater resources are the key in almost all aspects of social and economic development and quality of life.
The complexity of water issues is obvious, and proficient management strategies need to take this complexity into account by establishing dialogues and participation among all concerned parties.
Effective water management cannot be achieved solely through political, scientific or managerial means, but rather through a complex interaction of all three. Networks are essential to tackle the problems.
Because physical and socio-economic settings are so diverse, most decisions and actions related to water management need to take place at the local, national and regional level. Nevertheless, international co-operation and partnerships in support of national actions are essential for achieving the overall goals of sustainable development, particularly in the water sector.
Goals and objectives of the Swedish Water House
The purpose of the Swedish Water House is to act as an advocate in the policy debate through knowledge generation and dissemination and partnership building. Support to international policy development and action within sustainable river basin management and integrated water resources management (IWRM) are key focuses. Although the specific role and mode of work for the Swedish Water House will be elaborated during 2003, it will initially focus on three broad areas:
1. Increase understanding as a way to stimulate action
The access to knowledge and experience can help stimulate implementation of necessary actions. It is through knowledge and understanding that we can generate a will to act! The links between the UN Millennium Development Goals and effective water management strategies must be made clear, and the people affected, as well as decision makers, must be encouraged to act and see the benefits of their actions. The Swedish Water House will build on the network
partners to generate and disseminate information and knowledge about water policy issues and innovative concepts within water management. The underlying goal will be to stimulate further action – at local, national and international levels – and support international policy processes.
It will serve as a knowledge resource centre, to which national and international organizations and government agencies can turn to for assistance and information.
2. Build national and international partnerships and clusters of co-operation and support projects in line with the mission of the SWH concept
The Swedish Water House project is not a new water organization. Rather, the goal is to stimulate networking among existing national and international organizations and promote co-operation to identify and solve specific water related problems, in particular those linked to basin management and integrated water resources management. Focuses include, among others, support to the development of national strategies for IWRM and river basin management strategies, including issues of effective governance but also links between water, ecosystem management and ecosystem services.
3. Generate and disseminate water knowledge through conferences, seminars, workshops, the media and web-based material
Through its network, the Swedish Water House will generate and disseminate innovative knowledge and experience, in particular linked to river basin management and integrated water resources management. The means will be conferences, workshops, seminars, media advocacy and web-based material. Activities will stimulate debate and promote co-operation. SWH will enable new concepts to be elevated, discussed and disseminated.
