World Water Week Closes With Vision for a Water and Food Secure Future

STOCKHOLM, Aug. 31, 2012 /CNW/ - The 2012 World Water Week in Stockholm closed today with a "vision" capturing the perspective of the young water scientists and professionals on the priorities that must be set now in order to achieve water and food security by 2050. 

The World Water Week in Stockholm is the leading annual meeting place for the planet's most urgent water-related issues.  This year, 2500 participants convened under the theme "Water and Food Security". The youth vision was developed by a group of young professionals who have been interviewing their peers attending the World Water Week, and through gathering input on social media from those following the conference remotely.

The team responsible for the Young Professionals' Vision collected views, suggestions and opinions on how to address current food, water and energy challenges and attended over 100 sessions during the Week.

This is what they had to say:

The world in 2050 is one where:

• We have equal access to improved sanitation, safe water, food and health and well-being.
• We have healthy ecosystems.
• There is inclusivity in decision-making by both traditional stakeholders such as business and government, but also by neglected groups such as women, youth and indigenous peoples.
• We look beyond the present.
• We have informed, aware and proactive citizens who know the value of food and water and you use resources wisely.
• There is transparency and accountability.
• We have cooperation that is built on trust by all stakeholders, and one that acknowledges interdependencies.

However we still live in a world where:

• 2.6 billion people lack improved sanitation
• Roughly 800 million people lack safe drinking water
• One billion people go to bed hungry
• 3 billion people are undernourished
• 60% of ecosystem services are deteriorating
• One billion people are obese
• Between 30 - 50% food produced is wasted

The journey to get there should be driven by:

• Increasing sustainable investments in agriculture
• Embracing a more resource efficient diet
• Implementing sustainable intensification
• Wasting less food
• Promoting enabling conditions that include incentive mechanisms, policy cohesion and institutional design and strengthening
• Being adaptable
• Understanding the link between water, energy and food
• Adopting business model perspectives in development projects
• Developing resource recovery and re-use
• Empowering communities
• Boosting fairer trade markets
• Learning from our mistakes as well as our successes

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SOURCE: Stockholm International Water Institute

Rami Abdelrahman, at [phone], [email protected]