On Thursday, March 26th, we open, together with Caritas Ukraine, the photo exhibition WASHinWar at the Nobel Peace Center. The exhibition is free and can be seen at the Pop-Up Studio until April 20.

The war in Ukraine has shown how quickly a modern society can lose access to clean drinking water when the water supply is disrupted. In Ukraine, this is largely through targeted air strikes, but hacking and sabotage are hybrid threats to the water supply.

This has had major humanitarian consequences – for the population, the operation of hospitals and agriculture. With support from Norway, Caritas with water purification plants and mobile water towers.

The photo exhibition depicts the extensive destruction of Ukraine's water systems: dams, water towers, pipelines and cisterns. It is about distress, suffering and the lack of one of the most basic conditions for life: water. At the same time, it tells stories of ingenuity, perseverance and the will to find solutions in extreme conditions.

Warning to Norway

The aim of the exhibition is to highlight how attacks on water and sanitation infrastructure affect the civilian population, public health and the resilience of society during war. The images also serve as a warning to Norway.

Water is a critical resource in all countries. In Norway, it is not only access to clean drinking water that is at stake in the event of an attack on water infrastructure – nearly 90 percent of our electricity supply also depends on hydropower. 

The Ukrainians have learned a lot about how to handle attacks on the water supply. Russia has learned how to destroy it. By learning from Ukraine's experiences, Norway can be better prepared if we are ever hit by a similar crisis.

Panel discussion

In connection with the opening of WASHinWar, we also organized a panel discussion with representatives from Ukraine and Norway. Watch it on YouTube.