It all started with the first Stockholm Water Symposium that gathered 500 water experts as part of the Stockholm Water Festival, celebrating that the Swedish capital managed to reach its goal of having some of the cleanest waters in the world. The first Stockholm Water Prize was also presented.

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize was held as an international competition for students aged 15-20. The aim is to encourage innovations that help solve important water challenges. The first competition counted eight participating countries. Twenty-five years later, 32 countries made it to the finals.

The scientific conference evolved into a larger event to include more perspectives and broader issues related to water.

The Stockholm International Water Institute becomes an independent foundation under its current name.

An established presence in the region enabled SIWI to forge new partnership with African governments and organizations. Building on local expertise, the regional office contributes to solving specific water issues on the continent, driven by growing populations, urbanization and climate change.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for SIWI’s expertise related to Water and Sanitation became even more pressing in Latin America. A collaboration was formed with UNICEF to provide more efficient responses in the region and enable closer cooperation with local governments connecting the global expertise and local realities.