World Water Week 2025 opens – water takes centre stage in global climate action.
© SIWI
Water for Climate Action
Taking place in Stockholm/Sweden from the 25th–28th August 2025, this year’s World Water Week saw record engagement, with more than 13,000 participants from 188 countries and territories. The annual event, this time under the theme Water for Climate Action, was organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).
This year’s theme attracted a wide range of participants, including Indigenous Peoples, business leaders, decision-makers, students, NGOs and international organisations. Their shared message was clear. Not only is water central to climate action, it is the foundation of a just, resilient and sustainable future.
“The climate crisis is a water crisis. We see it in drying rivers and flooded cities, in failed harvests and forced migration. But in water, we also find the solutions. This year’s World Water Week is our historic chance to put water where it belongs – at the heart of global climate action,” said Helena Thybell, Executive Director of the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).
Indigenous people in focus
Indigenous Peoples play a critical role in water systems and water governance in a changing and dynamic climate. 2025 marks the third consecutive year of the Indigenous Peoples Focus at World Water Week; it is intended to acknowledge the role of Indigenous Peoples, following successful events in 2023 and 2024.
A High Level Panel at World Water Week centred on Indigenous voices and offered insights with broader global relevance. It was delivered in partnership with Indigenous leaders, incorporating the diversity of Indigenous experiences and governance contexts across regions such as the Arctic, the Pacific and the Americas, and was facilitated by Sheryl Hedges, Head of the First Nations Water Branch within the Water Policy Division of the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Billions of people globally still lack access to safe drinking water
Despite progress over the last decade, billions of people around the world still lack access to essential water, sanitation, and hygiene services, putting them at risk of disease and deeper social exclusion.
A new report titled Progress on Household Drinking Water and Sanitation 2000–2024: special focus on inequalities and launched by WHO and UNICEF during World Water Week 2025 reveals that, while some progress has been made, major gaps persist. People living in low-income countries, fragile contexts, rural communities, children, and minority ethnic and Indigenous groups face the greatest disparities.
“When children lack access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, their health, education, and futures are put at risk,” said Cecilia Scharp, UNICEF Director of WASH. “These inequalities are especially stark for girls, who often bear the burden of water collection and face additional barriers during menstruation. At the current pace, the promise of safe water and sanitation for every child is slipping further from reach – reminding us that we must act faster and more boldly to reach those who need it most.”
Stockholm Water Prize
During the World Water Week, His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden presented the 2025 Stockholm Water Prize to Professor Günter Blöschl. Blöschl, Professor of Hydrology and Water Resources Management at the Vienna University of Technology/Austria, received the award for his ground-breaking contributions to understanding the drivers of flood risks under climate change. His pioneering research has transformed the way societies forecast and manage floods, saving lives and shaping global water policies.
The Stockholm Water Prize Nominating Committee described him as “the world’s leading flood hydrologist”, recognising his meticulous work in building a 500-year flood database and creating new scientific fields, including regional process hydrology and sociohydrology, which bridge science with society.
The Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2025 was awarded Niklas Ruf and Jana Spiller from Germany for their work on developing a scalable flood warning system for small streams. Over four years of work, Ruf and Spiller created a network of sensors linked to an app that provides live alerts to both experts and the public. Their system is already being scaled up across their region in consultation with multiple partners.
Ines Lechner, Rural 21
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