PROJECT: SWEDISH WATER HOUSEOur approach

Swedish Water House brings together actors from science, policy, and practice to make lasting change. We focus on raising awareness of important water issues and on finding sustainable, long-term water solutions for entire sectors.

Swedish Water House is part of SIWI but started in 2000 after a request from the Government of Sweden. Since then, Swedish Water House’s role has been to “support international policy development and cooperation in the water- and development field by generating knowledge, disseminating it and building partnerships through dialogue and collaboration”. Swedish Water House also functions as an impartial meeting place and advisor on water issues.

Seminars to share knowledge

Swedish Water House’s seminars and webinars on current water issues attract a broad group of participants from both the public and the private sectors. By gathering experts from different fields, the seminars lead to important discussions and a serve to raise awareness around the inter-linkages between water and all business sectors.

Multi-stakeholder platforms for solutions

Since 2003, Swedish Water House has hosted a great number of multi-stakeholder platforms on different topics, where actors from the same sector or with a shared interest come together to co-create new solutions. This way of working has produced impressive results and many innovative ideas. One example is how the Sustainable Textile Water Initiative (STWI) has made Swedish brands significantly reduce their use of water, energy, and chemicals, thereby also slashing their greenhouse gas emissions. Similarly, the cluster group on water and pharmaceuticals has resulted in pioneering processes for greener procurement as well as manufacturing.

Currently, the cluster group Water and Finance is actively contributing to a better understanding of water among financial institutions, which is crucial for improving water management within the private sector. Another group that has attracted great attention is Water and Faith, which brings together people from faith-based organizations and focuses on social norms and values related to water. The unique collaboration has been hailed as a new way to encourage behavioural change.

Bridging science and practice

Swedish Water House’s different projects generate and share knowledge. The project Water for Resilient Landscapes is an example; it contributes to a better understanding of the role of water in land use but also actively works with practitioners to ensure that the latest scientific knowledge is used in forestry and landscape management. Together with partner organizations, the Landscape team of Swedish Water House develops knowledge products, trainings, and tools.

Influencing policy

Swedish Water House supports decision-makers at different levels with knowledge and insights. It also houses the International Policy team which works with integrating water into the policy processes of the 2030 Agenda, the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and climate processes, amongst others.