Happy 50th Anniversary, IWRA!

On March 25th, IWRA held its first 50th Anniversary High Level Panel on “A Conversation on Water: Assessing the State of Knowledge and Achievement” to celebrate this important landmark in the history of the Association.  Distinguished water panellists from various regions of the world joined this 90-minute event.  They exchanged views on water resources management during the past five decades, reflected on the current status of these resources from local to global levels, and discussed different options as to where the sector might go, and needs to go, in the next 50 years.  They also assessed the role of the Association, which was established in 1971, the progress it has made, and the opportunities that lie ahead in order to contribute to the sustainable use and management of the world’s water resources management.

From a big paradigm shift for water professionals and policy makers to important changes in legislation, the eminent panellists reminded participants that IWRA was established during a very different time period in global history.  Following more progressive and comprehensive discussions during the United Nations Conference on Water in Mar del Plata in 1977, and later in the context of water directives and agendas for sustainable development, the international water community began to focus on the critical issues that have helped shape global to local water policies in the decades that followed. Water governance, IWRM, water allocation, hydro diplomacy, water productivity, smart water management, and other topics were some of these issues.  However, the panellists also agreed that environmental and ecosystem challenges are still poorly understood as compared to a half century ago, and that more up-to-date water research and knowledge is still needed.

The panellists also emphasized that today, information and data, knowledge and research generation, and interconnectedness of water resources focusing on societal, economic and political dimensions have vastly expanded over the past five decades.  Transparency of information and government cooperation were also highlighted as contributing to the progress and change of water resources management, as was the work of IWRA and other international organisations, which have facilitated these efforts through their congresses and meetings, and by publishing journals and timely reports.  Yet, they all agreed that more attention must be put on the value of water for different needs and users, particularly for low-income, rural, and native communities, while also looking at the on-going challenges posed by groundwater pollution, depletion of aquifers and rivers, water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, and millions of people without access to water and sanitation.  A wide gap continues to exist between the theoretical and the reality of implementing laws, regulations, public participation, and other societal mechanisms, and the politicization of the water sector continues to be an area of concern. 

In a forward-looking exercise, the panel also stressed the role of IWRA, and its crucial importance, to influence policy making, and to bring together multidisciplinary experts, professionals, managers, and other professionals.  Panellists discussed how the next 50 years could provide a unique opportunity to advance new paradigms, including nature-based solutions, adaptive management frameworks in response to climate change, exploration of unconventional water resources, expansion of flood storage, and other areas.  However, they noted that more political will, cooperation at all levels, in-depth considerations of equity, and raising the profile of water in international agreements would be critical to the success of these efforts.  They also suggested that open and free courses, webinars, events, publications, podcasts, and other education activities in which IWRA excels are opportunities for the Association to help share new information across communities, countries and international organisations.  In parallel, and given its extensive networks of highly knowledgeable and experienced water professionals, IWRA could contribute to global water security and sustainability by promoting public participation in the decision making processes while generating more knowledge and research on the above issues.  An international panel on water was also considered by eminent water experts as an area for the Association to explore in partnership with other UN and intergovernmental constituencies.

With nearly 300 registered attendees from 42 countries, this panel proved to be a productive and fruitful event.  IWRA would like to thank the distinguished panellists that contributed to the program:  H.E. Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, President, Arab Water Council, & Honorary & Fellow Member, IWRA; Lilian del Castillo Laborde, Professor, University of Buenos Aires, & Honorary & Fellow Member, IWRA; Ben Dziegielewski, Professor Emeritus, Southern Illinois University, & Honorary & Fellow Member, IWRA; and, Jean J. Fried, Project Scientist, University of California & Fellow Member, IWRA. This High-Level Panel was moderated by Gabriel E. Eckstein, Professor & Director of the Energy, Environmental & Natural Resources Systems Law Program, Texas A&M University, and President, IWRA.