World Water Week in Stockholm

On August 26–27, 2026, Vice President of UVA Oleksandr Starynskyi and Head of the Department of Ecology and Health Protection of the Western Ukrainian National University, member of the Council of the Ukrainian Water Association, CEO of SMART SOLUTION Leonid Bytsyura participated in the World Water Week 2026 events held in Stockholm (Kingdom of Sweden) as part of the Ukrainian delegation.

World Water Week is one of the leading international platforms for discussing current issues of water resources management, water security, climate change, innovation, international cooperation and sustainable development.

The opening ceremony of World Water Week 2026 was attended by Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economy Iryna Ovcharenko, who shared her experience of international cooperation in the water sector, solving problematic issues of water supply in Ukraine, involving communities and civil society, as well as the need to adapt to climate change.

Within the framework of the special session “Swedish Water Solutions for Ukraine – Matchmaking for Reconstruction”, representatives of the Ukrainian Water Association presented to Swedish partners Ukrainian projects for the reconstruction and modernization of water supply, drainage and wastewater treatment facilities. Among the presented initiatives are projects for Ladyzhyn, Kremenets, Shumsk, Chornomorsk and other territorial communities of Ukraine.

A separate direction of the presentation concerned the environmental consequences of the war and modern technologies for the restoration of contaminated water bodies and soils. Leonid Bytsyura presented the technology (preparation) “Organic catalysts TREVITAN Bioremediator”, as well as the experience of practical application in Ukraine and in the world.

The technology already has successful use cases during the elimination of the environmental consequences of emergency situations and pollution of water bodies in Ukraine. A separate direction of its application is related to the remediation of contaminated soils. Practical experience has been accumulated in the use of TREVITAN Bioremediator in areas contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, toxic chemicals and other pollutants.

Practical cases of TREVITAN Bioremediator application cover both natural water bodies and technological reservoirs of enterprises. In particular, the technology was used to work with technological reservoirs of food industry enterprises, including sugar and dairy processing enterprises, as well as farm complexes.

The use of TREVITAN Bioremediator Organic Catalysts in such conditions is aimed at activating natural biological purification processes, reducing organic load and unpleasant odors, and improving the characteristics of contaminated water. A promising direction is also the preparation of wastewater and technological waters for further purification and reuse, which corresponds to modern principles of circular water resources management.

Thus, TREVITAN Bioremediator is considered as an environmentally friendly bioremediation solution for a comprehensive solution to the problems of soil and water pollution, combating unpleasant odors, restoring disturbed ecosystems and increasing the potential for water reuse.

During the meetings in Stockholm, the prospects for international testing of the technology, its independent scientific verification and possible application for the restoration of ecosystems affected by man-made and military pollution were discussed.

An important component of the work program were meetings with representatives of the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and Swedish Water House. During the negotiations with Thomas Rebermark and Dr. Anna Tengberg, the possibilities of further Ukrainian-Swedish cooperation in the field of water resources, science and innovation were discussed.

In the scientific part of the negotiations, Leonid Bytsyura presented the results of the department’s research, in particular the possibilities of using machine learning methods for analyzing hydroecological information, monitoring the state of water bodies and assessing the impact of pollution on river basins.

A separate working meeting was held with representatives of the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. During a conversation with Alejandro Jiménez, head of the WASH Governance Group, scientific developments in the field of hydroecological monitoring and TREVITAN technology were presented. The parties discussed the possibility of continuing scientific communication and the prospect of independent laboratory testing of Ukrainian technology in Sweden.

Representatives of the Ukrainian Water Association also took part in a strategic international discussion dedicated to the relationship between water, military conflicts and security. The discussion focused on the Ukrainian experience of destruction and damage to water infrastructure in war conditions, the need to improve international legal mechanisms for the protection of water bodies and the importance of documenting the environmental consequences of armed aggression.

Working contacts were also held within the framework of World Water Week with representatives of Swedfund, Finnish Water Forum, Alfa Laval, Truxor Wetland Equipment, Nordic International Water and other international companies, scientific and expert organizations. The possibilities of involving Swedish technologies and financial resources in the restoration of Ukraine’s water infrastructure, as well as the implementation of joint research, demonstration and work projects, were discussed.

During the stay in Stockholm, a meeting was held with representatives of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of Sweden, during which the coordination of international support and promotion of Ukrainian modern developments, infrastructure and scientific and technological projects were discussed.

A separate promising initiative was the discussion of the possibility of forming a full-fledged Ukrainian representation at World Water Week 2027 – with a specialized stand, a presentation of Ukrainian technologies and projects, as well as a separate panel discussion dedicated to the restoration of water infrastructure and water security in Ukraine.