Former chief UN mediator in the Darfur conflict, veteran Swedish diplomat Jan Eliasson recounted his experiences of how water and water scarcity came into play in the troubled region in Sudan with desertification, poisoned wells and displacement of pastoral people.

Displaying a glass of tap water, Eliasson said 'this is a luxury for 800-900 million people in the world. It's a dream'.

Eliasson - who now chairs the Swedish branch of the aid agency WaterAid Sweden - cited another dismal statistic that 4,000 to 5,000 children die daily due to the lack of clean water or over water-borne diseases.

Scores of seminars were also scheduled during the conference that has the overriding theme 'accessing water for the common good' and where scores of organisations present findings and studies.

Possible conflict over water was also discussed by contributors to a report on trans-boundary water produced by the Stockholm International Water Institute, which organizes the meeting.

Co-author David Grey, who works as a water advisor for the World Bank in South Asia and Africa, said 'no war is fought over a single issue,' but that water could be a factor in conflicts.

The Stockholm Water Prize was created in 1990 to recognize achievements in water science, water management, water action or awareness building.