Seminar with Stockholm Water Prize Laureate 2026, Professor Kaveh Madani

WaterCentre@KTH proudly invites you to a seminar with Professor Kaveh Madani, 2026 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate.

Professor Kaveh Madani was selected for the Stockholm Water Prize for his groundbreaking research and global leadership that have transformed how governments manage water crises. His work has shifted the focus of global water debates from infrastructure to governance and demonstrated how weak governance structures often lie at the heart of severe water crises. He has also advanced global understanding of transboundary water issues, developing science-based approaches to conflict resolution and sustainable management of shared river basins worldwide.

Professor Kaveh Madani is the Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH).

The seminar will be moderated by Professor Zahra Kalantari, Director of KTH WaterCentre.

Programme

10:00 Coffee/tea

10:15–10.30 Welcome remarks
Professor Zahra Kalantari, Professor in Environmental Science and Engineering for Sustainability in the Anthropocene, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Director of Water Centre, KTH.

Anna Hadenius, CEO Stockholm Water Foundation and Director, Environment and Health Administration, City of Stockholm

High-level Opening Remarks
Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University; Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (10 min)

10:25–10:55 The Making of a Water Scientist. An interactive conversation about Kaveh's academic journey, early influences and the people who shaped his thinking.

Moderator: Professor Zahra Kalantari, Professor in Environmental Science and Engineering for Sustainability in the Anthropocene, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Director of Water Centre, KTH

Professor Jay Lund, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis (UC Davis)

Dr. Rolf Larsson, Director of the UNU Hub on Water in a Changing Environment (WICE) at Lund University

Professor Nima Shokri, Executive Co-Director, UNU Hub on Engineering to Face Climate Change at TUHH and Chair and Director of the Institute of Geo-Hydroinformatics at TUHH

Professor Hatef Madani, Professor and Head of Division of Applied Thermodynamics, Department of Energy Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Sogol Jafarzadeh, UN and Government Relations Coordinator, UNU-INWEH

10:55–11:00 Introducing the Laureate
Professor Reza Khanbilvardi, Executive Co-Director, UNU Hub on Remote-Sensing and Sustainable Innovations for Resilient Urban Systems (R-SIRUS). A brief personal introduction to Professor Madani, followed by an invitation to the stage.

11:00–11:40 The Journey So Far – From Science to Global Water Leadership
A candid conversation with the laureate about the experiences, choices, people and ideas that have shaped his journey – and the challenges he believes the global water community must confront next.

11:40–11:55 Questions from the Audience

11:55-12:00 Wrap up and Closing Remarks Zahra Kalantari and Anna Hadenius

Read more and register for the seminar