Madani: “Decouple the economy from water to avoid global disruption”

Iranian professor Kaveh Madani, winner of the Stockholm Water Prize, did not mince his words during the opening of World Water Week in Stockholm on Monday, 25 August. “We are facing global water bankruptcy, and there are no easy solutions.” EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall and Tom Erixon, CEO of industrial company Alfa Laval, were also part of the panel discussing the central theme, ‘Water for People and Progress’.

Professor Madani has demonstrated in his work how weak governance structures often lie at the heart of severe water crises. In January, he published a UN report on global water bankruptcy and how humanity is living beyond its hydrological means. During the panel discussion, Madani complimented EU Commissioner Roswall on the EU ambition to restore the water cycle. Roswall acknowledged that water is now a top priority for the EU. “It is the first time an EU Commissioner has water in her title.” She emphasised that the EU has a great deal of legislation, but that implementation is still lacking. Roswall added that the EU recognises that public funding alone will not be enough to cover all the necessary investments in infrastructure. “We need investments from private capital, and we also know that the cost of inaction is huge.”

Reduce the pressure of water scarcity

Madani believes there are ways to reduce the economy’s dependence on water. According to him Israel has been very successful in doing this through desalination, recycling and reuse. “This has reduced the pressure of water scarcity on its economy. The economy in Israel is no longer extremely vulnerable to water shortages and will therefore be less severely affected by the next drought. We know full decoupling water from economics is impossible, because at some point you will need water.”

Share best practices

Moderator Braulio Eduardo Morena from the World Economic Forum also asked Tom Erixon, CEO of industrial company Alfa Laval, for his views. Erixon said he was more optimistic than Madani and explained that industrial companies have been dealing with water challenges for years. He does not see the need for a ‘Paris Agreement’  for water and said he instead wants to share and their best practices in water treatment with other industrial companies.

World Water Week 2026

World Water Week, one of the world’s leading water conferences, takes place in Stockholm and online from 23 to 27 August 2026. This year’s theme is ‘Water for People and Progress’. The week focuses on how to build a more just, equitable and water-secure future for people and the planet in a rapidly changing climate. Professor Kaveh Madani will receive the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize on Wednesday, 26 August for his achievements in the field of water. Madani’s work has shifted from infrastructure to governance.