The 2007 World Water Week opens in Stockholm, Sweden, today, with 2,500 international experts expected to attend. Climate change, a potential water shortage in some regions, and the diversion of water to crops for biofuels are some of the topics to be discussed at the event.

The theme of the 17th annual event is “Progress and Prospects on Water: Striving for Sustainability in a Changing World.”

Medical aspects of polluted water will also be tackled during World Water Week. Widely lacking sanitary facilities in developing countries have prompted organisers to state, “Hurry up! 2.6 billion are queuing to use the toilet.” Seminars dealing with this subject are a precursor to next year, when global attention will be focused on the topic of health and sanitation as 2008 has been declared the International Year of Sanitation.

To learn more about World Water Week, visit www.worldwaterweek.org.