Vision and Purpose of SIWI: Independent and Leading-Edge
Water Competence for Future-Oriented Action
The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) is a policy institute that contributes to international efforts to find solutions to the world`s escalating water crisis. SIWI advocates future-oriented, knowledge-integrated water views in decision making, nationally and internationally, that lead to sustainable use of the world`s water resources and sustainable development of societies.
By creating opportunities for dialogue and collaboration between water experts and decision makers, SIWI creates opportunities for the development of innovative policies and scientifically based solutions to water-related problems. This is necessary in order to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals and the water-related targets which were agreed upon at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, 2002.
SIWI stresses that water is a key to socio-economic development and quality of life, and that through integrated water resources management (IWRM), barriers which hinder increased food production, pollution prevention and poverty reduction can be overcome.
SIWI has several spheres of activity. We organize the World Water Week in Stockholm and within it, the Stockholm Water Symposium, a global water forum convened annually. We also administer the Swedish Water House, a platform which aims to build operating networks around water issues between Swedish institutes, organizations and universities, and through this engage them in international water issues. Through different commissioned assignments, SIWI is also involved in a number of international water projects, above all within the policy area.
Further, SIWI administers the Stockholm Water Prize, Stockholm Junior Water Prize and Stockholm Industry Water Award for the Stockholm Water Foundation. A fourth award, the Swedish Baltic Sea Water Award, is administered for the Government of Sweden. Through these premier international water awards, SIWI is able to draw attention to critical water issues.
Stockholm Water Foundation
The Stockholm Water Foundation was established in 1990 to encourage research and development of the world`s water environment by awarding the international Stockholm Water Prize. The Stockholm Junior Water Prize, created as a complement to the Stockholm Water Prize, was awarded for the first time in 1995 as a Swedish national prize, and in 1997 it, too, became an international prize. In 2000, the Stockholm Water Foundation established the Stockholm Industry Water Award, which is awarded to companies for outstanding contributions in the water sector.
The Stockholm Water Prize fund is raised by donations. Founders of the Prize are Anglian Water, Bacardi, DuPont, Europeiska Insurance, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, General Motors, Grundfos Management, Hewlett Packard, Hilton and Scandic, ITT Flygt, Kaupthing Bank Sverige, Kemira Kemwater, KPMG Sweden, P&G, Ragn-Sells, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Snecma, Stockholm Water Festival, Swedish Railways (SJ), Uponor Group, Water Environment Federation in collaboration with The City of Stockholm.
The Stockholm International Water Institute administrates the activities of the Stockholm Water Foundation.
HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is the Patron of the Stockholm Water Prize. It is also supported by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, the International Water Association (IWA), the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
