Organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the World Water Week (WWW) is the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. It focuses on new thinking and positive action toward water-related challenges and their impact on the world's environment, health, climate, economic and poverty reduction. This year, it carries the theme “Water, Ecosystems and Human Development”.  As has been the case in previous editions, FAO will have a major presence at WWW 2018 and will convene/co-convene various events.

One major session will be dedicated to the UN World Water Development Report 2018, in which FAO was a major player, contributing a chapter on “Nature-Based Solutions for Managing Water Availability”. The main findings of this UN-Water flagship publication will be presented during this session followed by a panel discussion on the reports policy messages and concrete applications of nature-based solutions to achieve the water-related Goal (SDG 6) and Targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In addition, “Water Management in Fragile Systems” Publication by FAO and World Bank will be launched during the “MENA Focus - Building Resilience to Shocks and Protracted Crises” session. The publication points out the necessity of improving water management practices and governance in the MENA region to promote resilience and recovery. This event builds on a partnership between FAO and the World Bank and will focus on how water and fragility are related and how they should be addressed.

WASAG, the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture, will also organize a series of events that address the increasing pressure caused by climate change on water scarcity in agriculture. This includes a showcase, which will provide an opportunity for engaging with partners and stakeholders on WASAG’s current and future activities. 

A SIWI Sofa Interview with FAO’s Deputy Director of the Land and Water Division and Head of the FAO Delegation at WWW 2018, Mr. Olcay Ünver, will be broadcast live on 26 August 2018 between 12:00-12:30 pm. WASAG Partners and Steering Committee Meetings will also take place during WWW.

An event on inland fisheries will provide a chance for participants to raise questions and share opinions on the barriers and opportunities for achieving sustainable inland fisheries, and a session on forest-water nexus will aim to bridge the divide between the water and forest sectors and suggest concrete actions to better integrate forests in water management and water in forest management. 

If you are in attendance in Stockholm, or can follow online, please join us for a series of in-depth presentations and discussions on a variety of key topics. You can find further information about the scheduled events convened and co-convened by FAO/WASAG here: http://www.fao.org/land-water/events/events-detail/en/c/1074027/