World Water Week 2009 kicks off in Stockholm today with an opening session from top water experts who will set the stage for a week focused on “Responding to Global Changes: Accessing Water for the Common Good.” This meeting, organized annually by the Stockholm International Water Institute, brings together experts, practitioners, and global leaders to share information and develop solutions for the most urgent water-related issues.

This year’s theme, “Accessing Water for the Common Good,” seeks to address the dual problems of the growing demand for water and its increasingly erratic availability. Participants have their work cut out for them: there are currently 884 million people living without access to clean water, and 2.5 billion living without access to adequate sanitation.

We hope to hear from partners that are attending on the week’s progress.

To learn more about this year’s program, check out the full list of sessions here.

-Rena Pacheco-Theard