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Among several international prizes for work aimed at solving problems related to water, the Stockholm Water Prize is the most prestigious. We celebrate the latest laureates and highlight the

inspirational nature of such an award. The successes of researchers working on water are recognized by a number of awards. Established in 1993 by the National Water Research Institute, the

Clarke Prize is assigned yearly to water experts whose work has been carried out in the United States. The International Hydrology Prize has been awarded since 1981 by the International

Association of Hydrological Sciences, UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization, and since 2004 is split into a fundamental-oriented accolade, the Doodge Medal, and a more applied

one, the Volker Medal. Undoubtedly however, the Stockholm Water Prize holds the spot for the most prestigious award in the field. Credit: SIWI The Stockholm Water Prize has been assigned

every year since 1991, it is usually announced on or around World Water Day on 22 March and is then presented by the King of Sweden at the end of August during the Stockholm Water Week. It

recognizes the work of individuals or organizations “who have made exceptional contributions to the understanding and protection of water”. Because of its prestige, and because it is

co-awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, it is often referred to as the ‘Nobel Prize for Water’. A second look immediately shows however that the similarities end there. The

breadth of expertise of the awardees from the last 30 odd years is a clear demonstration that the awarding committee feels that water issues should be addressed from all viewpoints, ranging

from fundamental hydrology studies, to engineering, management, governance and intervention. Indeed, although it is mostly academics that receive the award, organizations and individuals

whose interventions have practically changed matters in terms of water management have also received the prize in the past. In 1995, Water Aid UK was recognized for efforts in providing

water and hygiene installations as well as educating users on how to operate and maintain them. In 2015, the Prize was awarded to Rajendra Singh for his lifelong work on water conservation

in India and in 2021 to Sandra Postel for her enduring efforts on communication, education and raising awareness. Rewarding lifelong efforts and successes is another feature of the Stockholm

Prize, as opposed to what is usually considered for a Nobel Prize (at least the scientific ones), which tend to focus on specific discoveries. This year’s award is the perfect

exemplification of this aspect. A hydrologist by formation, Professor Taikan Oki from the University of Tokyo has focused on providing a comprehensive understanding of water movements on

Earth by considering climate change effects as well as the impact of human activities. A major achievement of Professor Oki’s work was the development of the so-called Total Runoff

Integrating Pathways (or TRIP) network. Starting from data about river flows, the framework provides a way to model the lateral movement with high spatial resolution. Now widely used, it

provides quantitative information of the water cycle and its dynamics in response to climate change. Oki contributed substantially also to the development of the concept of virtual water

trade, namely the amount of water used in the production of other products (primarily food) and then traded internationally. The work by Oki and his collaborators dramatically improved

understanding of how embedded water should be treated from an economic perspective when estimating the richness and poverty of countries in terms of water resources. To complement the award

for a lifelong of work, the Stockholm Junior Water Prize was established in 1997. It is directed at projects by 15–20-year-old students, mostly developed during their school years, that aim

at providing solutions to real water problems. For example, the latest awardee, Naomi Park, designed a framework based on hyper cross-linked polymers derived from Styrofoam waste that can be

used to capture both CO2 and crude oil contaminants in the ocean. A remarkable aspect of her research, which is common to most of the previous awarded projects, is the fact that it looks at

problems with a holistic view and tries to provide solutions on different levels. In her case, using plastic waste in a constructive way to capture contaminants of a different nature. All

scientific prizes have their limits and can be improved, and the Stockholm Water Prize is certainly no exception. We just need to take a glance at the list of laureates to notice a strong

gender imbalance and, to a lesser extent, geographical disparity. However, overall, it is encouraging that several women as well as activists and researchers from outside the wealthy West

have been recognized, and we are confident that diversity will continue being a priority of the awarding committee going forward. In the meantime, we at _Nature Water_ would like to

congratulate Taikan Oki and Naomi Park and thank them for their contribution to water research. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE The prize

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