The island Djurgården in central Stockholm as seen from the northeast. Credit: Javier Martin/Creative Commons.
Sweden may be famous for such notables as filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, peacemaker Dag Hammarskjöld, IKEA, Absolut Vodka and meatballs, but it’s also at the forefront of tackling the growing global water crisis.
Stockholm, the capitol of Sweden – built, by the way, on 14 islands connected by 57 bridges – is annually abuzz with World Water Week. From August 21-27, 2011, this beautiful city welcomes 2,500 worldwide experts, scientists, researchers and citizens concerned with Earth’s waters.
Since 1991, the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) has hosted this major global event. The 2011 theme, “Water in an Urbanising World,” includes presentations from the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), hosted and led by UNESCO.
WWAP is “a United Nations system-wide effort to develop the tools and skills needed to achieve a better understanding of the processes, management practices and policies that will help improve the supply and quality of global freshwater resources.”
A highlight of World Water Week is the annual royal ceremony where Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf presents the Stockholm Water Prize. The laureate/recipient for 2011 is Stephen R. Carpenter, Ph.D., Professor of Zoology and Limnology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for his contributions in helping understand the human impact on lakes, through nutrient loading, fishing and the introduction of exotic species.
Carpenter, whose Ph.D. is in Botany/Oceanography and Limnology, is a member of several international organizations, including the US National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. We at the Ecology Global Network applaud Carpenter’s crowning achievement.
So, why do the Swedes think water conservation is so important that they hold such a large, expensive conference like this every year? Living in a land of 100,000 lakes, they clearly recognize the need to educate people world-wide on preserving the purity of water for everyone’s benefit.
Tracking Your Water Footprint
Helping our environment can include tracking your own “water footprint.” While drinking pure, filtered water is great, are you aware of how much water you use in gardening, baths, showers, toilets and dishwashing?
Start paying attention and cut back on your usage. Add that brick to the toilet tank. Flush when obviously needed. Limit showers to fewer minutes and leave an extra inch or two above the water line in the tub. Fix leaks. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons a day. Conserving also saves you money.
Other ways to help keep the world’s waters safe include never putting chemical or toxic waste down your toilets and other water drains. Look for “green” products for home and yard care, or try vinegar for household cleaning. Reuse, recycle or eliminate water bottles and other plastic containers from your household.
Teach your children about the beauty and importance of water, and help them understand their connection to our planet’s oceans, rivers and streams. Visit these places with buckets and help pick up the trash.
Start a weekly, monthly or annual ceremony with your family and friends. Create printable certificates indicating how everyone helped out at home or through their contributions in the work place. Hand the certificates out with all the pomp and circumstance you imagine the King of Sweden might do. And yes, you can all wear “crowns” as you acknowledge your achievements regarding water. No contribution is too small.
Learn More
- National Geographic’s Water Footprint Calculator
- Water Footprint Calculators at the Water Footprint Network
- 100 Ways to Conserve
- Water Conservation Quiz
