The United Nations Special Envoy on Water, Retno L.P. Marsudi, at the 35th edition of World Water Week in Stockholm on Monday, August 25, 2025, urged global leaders and stakeholders to embrace collective action and position water at the forefront of climate strategies.
This year’s conference, themed Water for Climate Action, reflects the growing recognition that water and climate are now inseparable challenges confronting our world today. Delivering the keynote address to thousands of participants gathered at the Waterfront Congress Centre in Stockholm for the annual water conference, Marsudi described water as both a contributor to and a solution for climate change.
“We need strong and robust action on water together. Water resilience prepares us to respond and enables us to adapt and address climate change. Only then can we transform water from being a potential contributor and the victim of climate change to being the solution to climate change,” she said.
Presenting recommendations to make water a solution to climate change, the UN’s Special Envoy urged water to be seen as a prominent watermark in the climate agenda. Building on the Baku Declaration on Water for Climate Action during COP29, which opened the way, she noted, “We must not lose that momentum. Water is transparent, but it must not be invisible in our climate action. It is time for us to raise strong collective claims that water must be at the heart of climate action.
“We can no longer do the same while expecting different results. Current world challenges demand agility, effectiveness, and tangible results. This is why we are in dire need of concrete action in water to multiply progress in all areas of sustainable development,” Marsudi emphasised.
Beyond being one of the largest water conferences in the world, World Water Week 2025, organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute, is poised to be a pivotal moment in global environmental governance in the lead-up to the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal.
Following the opening ceremony, the rest of the week will witness a series of high-level panels, centre-stage sessions, displays of water innovation and solutions – including presentation of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, as well as cross-sectoral partnerships – all aimed at accelerating progress toward the 2030 Agenda.
By ‘Seyifunmi Adebote,| Stockholm, Sweden