IWRA

  XV^_th IWRA World Water Congress

The next IWRA World Water Congress will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 25 to 29 May 2015, hosted by the Scottish Government.

It was announced with the Press Release of IWRA and the Press Release of the Scottish Governement.

For more information, please visit the official Congress website: www.worldwatercongress.com

About the IWRA World Water Congress

Since 1973, IWRA has held a World Water Congress every three years in various locations around the world.

 

The objective of the World Water Congress is to provide a meeting place to share experiences, promote discussion, and to present new knowledge, research results and new developments in the field of water sciences around the world. For almost four decades the World Water Congresses have been excellent events for the identification of major global themes concerning the water agenda; and for the bringing together of a large cross-section of stakeholders for the development and implementation of decisions in the field of water.

 

Over the last thirty years, the debates and discussions about global water issues have become increasingly important in scientific, professional and inter-governmental forums. The United Nations has overseen several conventions regarding water problems such as biodiversity, desertification and the Kyoto protocols. The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) have been established in order to plan, evaluate and harmonise development policies around the world. Water has been identified as a cross-cutting issue across the different Objectives and Goals of the MDGs. These conventions, meetings, engagements and debates arise from the shared knowledge and perspectives of the state, usage, key questions, future challenges and potential solutions in the field of fresh water resources. Despite the importance of this knowledge and a strong awareness of the issues, the world is still confronted with water resources issues that are characterised by:

• ever more significant water shortages
• an incapacity to offer universal access to safe drinking water
• a global deterioration in water quality
• diminishing financial means for water resources development
• a growing vulnerability to climate change and extreme natural events
• fragmented water management systems
• international legislation that is not well adapted to the resolution of trans-boundary conflicts.

It is established that action must be taken at the local level.

However, concerted efforts are also essential parallel to this at the regional and global level in order to achieve a significant and sustainable impact. 

Previous IWRA World Water Congresses:

XIV^th World Water Congress in Porto-De-Galinhas, Brazil

Dates: 25-29 September, 2011 

Theme: "Adaptive Water Management: Looking to the Future"   

 

XIII^th World Water Congress in Montpellier, France

Dates: 1-4 September, 2008

Theme: "Global Changes and Water Resources"

Final report of the congress

 

XII^th World Water Congress in New Delhi, India

Dates: 22-25 November, 2005

Theme: "Water for Sustainable Development, Towards Innovative Solutions "  

 

XI^th World Water Congress in Madrid, Spain

Theme: "Water Resources Management in the 21st Century"

 

Theme: "Sharing and Caring for Water"

 

IX^th World Water Congress in Montreal, Canada

Theme: "Water Resources Outlook for the 21 st Century: Conflicts and Opportunities"

 

VIII^th World Water Congress in El Cairo, Egypt

Theme: "Satisfying Future National and Global Water Demands"

VII^th World Water Congress in Rabat, Morocco
Date: 13 – 18 May, 1991
Theme: "Water for Sustainable Development in the 21st Century"

VI^th World Water Congress in Ottawa, Canada
Date: 29 May – 3 June, 1988
Theme: "Water for World Development"

 

V^th World Water Congress in Brussels, Belgium
Date: 9 – 15 June, 1985
Theme: "Water Resources for Rural Areas and their Communities"

IV^th World Water Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Date: 5 – 9 September, 1982
Theme: "Water for Human Consumption: Man and his Environment"

 

III^rd World Water Congress in Mexico City, Mexico
Date: 23 April, 1979
Theme: "Water for Human Survival"

 

II^nd  World Water Congress in New Delhi, India
Date: 12 – 16 December, 1975
Theme: "Water for Human Needs"

 

I^st World Water Congress in Chicago, U.S.A.
Date: 24 – 28 September, 1973
Theme: "Importance and Problems of Water in the Human Environment in Modern Times"