World Water Week is the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. Organized by SIWI, this year’s event will be held entirely online, in a new, digital format designed to ensure that people across the world can collaborate to find solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges.

Under the theme “Building Resilience Faster,” World Water Week 2021 will address such issues as the climate crisis, water scarcity, food security, health, biodiversity, and impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the event is usually held in Stockholm, hosting 4,000 people from more than 135 countries, the 2021 conference will be fully digital to ensure that this important forum can take place despite the ongoing pandemic.

2030 WRG is hosting a business roundtable session and we would be thrilled to have you join us!

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Transforming water governance through collective action – the role of private sector

Thursday, August 26, 2021
10:00 – 11:30 HRS EDT | 16:00 – 17:30 HRS CET

Click here to see the recording of the session >>

The missing link for transformative corporate impact in the water sector has been the inability to efficiently engage water stakeholders, including government decision makers, to solve the most pressing water security issues. The partnership model presented in this session conveys how dialogue can be turned into transformative action.

If water is to be everyone’s business, then stakeholders will need to come together in water-scarce countries to make some difficult trade-offs on the road to water security. Some solutions may require potentially unpopular policy changes, the adoption of water-saving techniques and technologies by millions of farmers and addressing water quality concerns. The conversation needed amongst stakeholders is prioritizing which difficult challenges are worth tackling and identifying collaboration models in driving toward solutions.

This session highlights examples of corporations, governments, foundations, civil society, and academia working together to deliver on the SDGs and tackling water resources challenges in a post-2020 world. Hear and engage in two interactive panel discussions. First, evidence-based inputs on the underlying challenges faced with regard to scale and equity. And second, essential elements of transformative partnerships needed to support collective action on the ground, with a deep dive into Peru.

Agenda

• Welcome by Karin Krchnak, 2030 WRG Program Manager
• Scene-setting by Reshma Anand, CEO Hindustan Unilever Foundation, session moderator

Panel 1: Addressing collective action challenges with regard to scale and equity.

• Balaji Ganapathy, Global Head, Corporate Social Responsibility, Tata Consultancy Services
• Jon Freedman, Senior Vice President, Global Government Affairs, Suez Water Technologies, and Services
• Peter Laugharn, Head of Hilton Foundation 

 Panel 2: Transformative partnerships that support collective action: deep dive in Peru.

• Veronica Bonifaz, Executive VP and Managing Director of the Peruvian Business Roundtable (CONFIEP) and former VP Corporate Affairs of Arca Continental
• Elsa Galarza, former Minister of Environment, and leader of the process of the OECD Water Governance Initiative, currently Dean of the Graduate School of Public Policy at Universidad del Pacifico
• Mercedes Castro, Chair of the 2030 WRG Peru Steering Board (since 2015), former Sherpa to the World Bank/UN High-Level Panel on Water

Closing

• Closing by Reshma Anand, CEO Hindustan Unilever Foundation
• Next steps by Karin Krchnak, 2030 WRG Program Manager

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World Bank Group sessions

The World Bank Group will convene and participate in over 50 sessions of World Water Week 2021 taking place from August 23-27. Please click on the “Sessions” tab for a list of World Bank Group (co)-convened sessions and sessions with World Bank Group participating speakers.

Follow the discussions online on Twitter too via @2030WRG and @WorldBankWater using #wwweek

• See the World Bank Water Week full program: https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2021/07/16/world-water-week-2021#2

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SIWI World Water Week 2021 YouTube Channel – with all session recordings

See the recordings from all 2021 Stockholm World Water Week sessions on the SIWI YouTube channel >>