Oxfam water and climate experts will be at the World Water Week in Stockholm (24-28 August) speaking to a number of issues including water insecurity in climate-vulnerable regions, the weaponization of water in conflict zones, water governance challenges across borders, and the fight for climate justice especially for marginalized communities.
The event brings together over 15,000 participants from around the world to discuss water cooperation, for peace and security in its broadest sense. The Oxfam’s delegation brings a critical voice advocating for inclusive water governance and rights-based climate solutions, especially in crisis-affected regions.
Oxfam will present findings from its latest report Research and Innovation Priorities for Climate Adapting Humanitarian WASH, warning that climate change is outstripping fragile WASH systems. Drawing on global consultations, it outlines 11 urgent priorities and urges swift action to prevent worsening health and water crises for the most vulnerable.
Oxfam water experts will also present learning and testimonies from some of the world’s worst manmade water crises, including Gaza and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as progress and insights from ongoing programs in Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines.
Nuzhat Nueary, Oxfam’s Water Lead, said:
“The world is running dry not just of water, but of time. One in four people — nearly the population of Europe — still lack safe water, and without fair climate finance reaching frontline communities and accountability from polluting countries, the crisis will only deepen.”
Here is an overview of Oxfam’s key events, media spokespeople, and products.
Oxfam spokespeople available in Stockholm:
- Anjil Adhikari – Water Governance Lead, Oxfam in Nepal (English, Nepali)
- Bernadette Victorio – Program Lead, Fair Finance Asia (FFA), Oxfam in Asia (English, Filipino)
- Enamul Mazid Khan Siddique– TROSA Program Manager, Oxfam in Asia (English, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu)
- Gerard Steehouwer - Climate Policy Lead, Oxfam Netherlands (English, Dutch)
- Petra Hamers – Climate Policy Lead, Oxfam Netherlands (English, Dutch)
Other spokespeople are available around the world including in Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Kenya, Nepal, Netherlands, the UK and the US.
“The world is running dry not just of water, but of time. One in four people — nearly the population of Europe — still lack safe water, and without fair climate finance reaching frontline communities and accountability from polluting countries, the crisis will only deepen.”
Key Oxfam events at World Water Week 2025:
- Tuesday, 26 August 2025, 10:00-11:00 CEST: Oxfam’s Fair Finance Asia and Transboundary Rivers of South Asia programs (TROSA) will host the online session “Designing Inclusive Climate Finance for Shared Water Ecosystem-Dependent Communities.” The discussion will draw on findings from ongoing studies in the Philippines and Bangladesh. Participation is free with online registration via the event program calendar (Session ID 12139).
- Tuesday 26 August, 15:00-16:00 CEST: Oxfam, Elhra, the Humanitarian Innovation Fund and the ADAPT Initiative will host the online session “Research and Innovation Priorities for Climate Adapting Humanitarian WASH.” The event will present findings from a first-of-its-kind report identifying 11 priorities for adapting humanitarian WASH responses to climate change.Particiation is fee online, please register online here. The session can be accessed via the event programme calendar.
- Wednesday 27 August, 16:00-16.30 CEST: Oxfam and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency will host “Resilience Requires Facilitation: Building Stakeholder Cooperation in Cross-Border Water-Landscapes for Climate and Water Actions” at the Netherlands booth. The session will draw on practical lessons from watershed governance in West Nepal’s Rangoon basin and the Transboundary Rivers of South Asia program.
Contact information
In Stockholm, Sweden: Anna Holmqvist: anna.holmqvist@oxfam.se | +46707799506
In Oxford, UK: Nesrine Aly | nesrine.aly@oxfam.org | +447503989838
For updates, please follow @NewsFromOxfam and @Oxfam
Notes to editors
Recent Oxfam research on water:
- “Research and Innovation Priorities for Climate Adapting Humanitarian WASH” (August 2025)— a first-of-its-kind report outlining 11 priorities for adapting humanitarian WASH responses to climate change. (Offline copy available.)
- “Extreme heat in Humanitarian Contexts” (June 2025) — research from Bangladesh and South Sudan examining how extreme heat affects communities through a water lens, with the aim of shaping heat-risk–informed humanitarian guidance.
- “Unheard Water Stories from Asia, Africa and MENA” (November 2024) — a report amplifying local voices on water security in a climate-insecure world, featuring community experiences from Bangladesh, Nepal, Kenya, Somalia, Syria, and Iraq.
- “Water War Crimes:How Israel has weaponised water in its military campaign in Gaza” (July 2024) ) details how Israel has systematically used deprivation and destruction of water infrastructure as a weapon against Palestinians.
- “Water Dilemmas: The cascading impacts of water insecurity in a heating world” (Sept 2023) — a briefing paper analyzing how rising temperatures across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia are expected to intensify water insecurity, threatening food supplies and driving the spread of disease.
Recent Oxfam coverage on the unfolding global water crises:
In Stockholm, Sweden: Anna Holmqvist: anna.holmqvist@oxfam.se | +46707799506
In Oxford, UK: Nesrine Aly | nesrine.aly@oxfam.org | +447503989838
For updates, please follow @NewsFromOxfam and @Oxfam
Recent Oxfam research on water:
- “Research and Innovation Priorities for Climate Adapting Humanitarian WASH” (August 2025)— a first-of-its-kind report outlining 11 priorities for adapting humanitarian WASH responses to climate change. (Offline copy available.)
- “Extreme heat in Humanitarian Contexts” (June 2025) — research from Bangladesh and South Sudan examining how extreme heat affects communities through a water lens, with the aim of shaping heat-risk–informed humanitarian guidance.
- “Unheard Water Stories from Asia, Africa and MENA” (November 2024) — a report amplifying local voices on water security in a climate-insecure world, featuring community experiences from Bangladesh, Nepal, Kenya, Somalia, Syria, and Iraq.
- “Water War Crimes:How Israel has weaponised water in its military campaign in Gaza” (July 2024) ) details how Israel has systematically used deprivation and destruction of water infrastructure as a weapon against Palestinians.
- “Water Dilemmas: The cascading impacts of water insecurity in a heating world” (Sept 2023) — a briefing paper analyzing how rising temperatures across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia are expected to intensify water insecurity, threatening food supplies and driving the spread of disease.