Hydrology.nl

The 2011 World Water Week in Stockholm closed with a «Stockholm Statement to the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro (Rio+20 Summit)». The Stockholm Statement calls on governmental leaders at all levels participating in the Rio+20 Summit (4–6 June 2012) to commit to achieving “universal provisioning of safe drinking water, adequate sanitation and modern energy services by the year 2030” and to adopt intervening targets to increase efficiency in the management of water, energy and food.

The targets to be achieved by the year 2020:

UN-Water, SIWI and many other internaiotnal organizations supported the statement. »If we do not take dramatic, immediate strides to create more resource-efficient societies, then water shortages will constrain economic growth and inhibit food and energy production in many regions. There are tremendous opportunities to save water and stimulate development by cutting water losses in energy production, by generating energy from water reuse and by reducing the losses and waste of food from the field on its way to the consumer. Achieving the goals and targets put forth by the participants at the 2011 World Water Week in Stockholm will help ensure that conclusions of the Rio+20 has a real impact on human well-being across the world«, said Mr. Anders Berntell, Executive Director of SIWI.

Stockholm Statement to the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro (Rio+20 Summit)

»It is clear that overpopulation has put enormous strains on the world, many of which have significant impact on the hydrological cycle. The water cycle itself is the key to live on the globe, and as such to the sustainability of ecosystems and health of nature and humans alike. Be it food, energy, climate change or sanitation – water is at the heart of matters«, said Mr Michael van der Valk, Scientific Secretary of the Netherlands National Committee IHP-HWRP.