Since its creation, the International Water Resources Association (IWRA) has been dedicated to recognising and celebrating excellence in water resources management. Over the years, IWRA has honoured the invaluable contributions of researchers, professionals, and organisations committed to advancing sustainable water solutions and tackling pressing water challenges around the world.
At the beginning of 2025, IWRA launched its call for award nominations, inviting the global water community to highlight exemplary achievements and leadership in the field. Following a rigorous review and selection process, IWRA is now delighted to announce the recipients of its three prestigious 2025 awards. These honours recognise individuals and organisations whose work has made significant and lasting impacts on water resources management, championed innovative solutions, and promoted sustainable practices for the benefit of communities and ecosystems worldwide. Meet the winners below!
Crystal Drop Award
Claudia Sadoff
Independent Advisor & Board Member
Dr. Claudia Sadoff is a globally recognised leader in water security whose career spans groundbreaking research, high-level policy leadership, and transformational management of international institutions. Her work has shaped the global understanding of water’s role in development, sustainability, and peace.
Dr. Sadoff is best known for her pioneering research on water security, including the influential paper “Sink or Swim? Water Security for Growth and Development,” which has been cited over 1500 times and helped define “water security” as a central concept in policy and practice worldwide. Her work on transboundary water management—including award-winning research on international river cooperation—has informed negotiations and investment strategies in complex shared basins. She also led the highly influential “Securing Water, Sustaining Growth” report for the Global Water Partnership and OECD, cementing her reputation as one of the most widely cited thinkers in the field.
Over three decades, Dr. Sadoff has worked at the heart of the world’s most important water policy organisations. At the World Bank, she led water security and transboundary programs, with significant impact in the Nile Basin and South Asia. As Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), she revitalised the organisation with a strategy focused on inclusion, economic development, climate resilience, and digital innovation. Under her leadership, IWMI strengthened its global relevance and impact on water management for low- and middle-income countries.
Dr. Sadoff then served as the first Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, the world’s largest partnership for agricultural, food, land, and water research. There, she led integration and reform efforts across 12 research centers with 9000 staff in over 70 countries. Her tenure ensured that water resources were positioned as a cornerstone of food system transformation in the face of climate change, and she championed water issues at the highest levels of global policy dialogue, including at the UN Climate Action and Food Systems Summits and UNFCCC COPs.
A gifted communicator and mentor, Dr. Sadoff has contributed to dozens of workshops and knowledge-sharing initiatives, even in challenging contexts such as Afghanistan and South Sudan. She is widely respected not only for her intellectual leadership but also for her commitment to developing the next generation of water professionals, advancing women’s leadership in the field, and fostering an inclusive, innovation-driven approach to tackling global water challenges.
Dr. Claudia Sadoff is an Honorary Member of the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), a testament to her enduring legacy as an ambassador for water security and sustainable development worldwide.
The Crystal Drop Award is given to organisations or individuals in recognition of their laudable contributions to the improvement of the world’s water situation. These contributions may be through:
- Groundbreaking research on water issues;
- Practice in water management or governance;
- Knowledge transfer or dissemination; and/or
- Outstanding contributions not covered by the above.
Water Drop Award
Hassan Tolba Aboelnga
Researcher at Cologne University
of Applied Sciences in Germany and International Expert in Water Security and Climate
Resilience
Dr. Hassan Aboelnga is a distinguished researcher and internationally recognized expert in water security, climate resilience, and sustainable development. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Kassel, a Master’s degree in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) from Cologne University of Applied Sciences, and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Mansoura University.
Dr. Aboelnga is currently a researcher at TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences and coordinator of the iWater Project, a flagship initiative transforming Egypt’s water sector through transdisciplinary partnerships. Dr. Aboelnga’s work bridges science, policy, and practice. He has served as an advisor and expert with several international organizations, including UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP), where he supported the development of the Strategic Global Framework for Megacities on Water and Climate.
Dr. Aboelnga also contributed to the League of Arab States’ Climate Security Initiative in partnership with the World Bank Group and advised the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) on advancing integrated water security and digital transformation around the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus in the Mediterranean region. Among his major scientific contributions, Dr. Aboelnga developed the Integrated Urban Water Security Index (IUWSI), a pioneering tool that operationalizes the UN Water Security Framework at the city level. The index has been successfully applied in cities worldwide, providing a powerful mechanism for advancing urban resilience and sustainability.
A prolific author and communicator, Dr. Aboelnga has published over 40 publications, including a widely known book on urban water security. His research has contributed to academic discourse and shaped real-world policymaking. His insights and thought leadership have been featured in international media such as the Thomson Reuters Foundation, SDG Knowledge Hub, Smart Water Magazine, Global Water Forum, and national Arab journals.
Dr. Aboelnga is also a prominent figure in global water governance. He serves as Strategic Advisor to the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA), Chair of the Urban Water Security Working Group and Task Force Member on Water Security at the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), and a management committee member of specialist groups at the International Water Association (IWA). He is also Vice-Chair of the Middle East Water Forum, and Guest Editor for scientific journals published by IWA Publishing and MDPI.
Widely regarded as an emerging global leader, Dr. Aboelnga is known for advancing science-policy integration in the water and climate fields, as well as for championing the integrated, cross-sectoral solutions to address the world’s pressing water challenges, with a focus on resilience, sustainability, and equity. His work reflects a unique combination of visionary leadership, technical expertise, and policy impact, placing him at the forefront of international efforts to strengthen water security and climate resilience for future generations.
The Water Drop award is given to a student or early career professional (typically people up to 35 years of age) who has made an innovative contribution to the water sector. These contributions may include, but are not limited to:
- Groundbreaking recent research on water issues;
- Entrepreneurship in the water sector;
- Raising the profile of younger people in the water sector.
Ven Te Chow Memorial Lecture and Award
Cecilia Tortajada
Professor, School of Social and Environmental Sustainability,
University of Glasgow, UK,;
Past President and Vice President of IWRA.
Dr Cecilia Tortajada is Visiting Professor at School of Social and Environmental Sustainability, University of Glasgow, UK. She has more than 25 years of experience in research, teaching, and consultancy, with a focus on water resources management and its policy, social, economic, and political dimensions. Her current work focuses on impacts of global changes on water, food and environmental security.
Dr Tortajada is an elected member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences of the Vatican. In 2024, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science in Technology by Aalto University, Finland, in recognition of her significant contributions to research and education in water resources and development. She is also a recipient of the Crystal Drop Award (2016) and the 50th Anniversary Award (2021) from the International Water Resources Association (IWRA).
Prof. Tortajada has served as advisor to international organizations, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and several national governments. She serves on several distinguished bodies, including the International Selection Committee of the Millennium Technology Prize (Technology Academy Finland), the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships Peer Review College (UK), and the OECD Initiative on Water Governance.
Professor Tortajada is the former President of the Third World Centre for Water Management, Mexico, and remains the first and only woman to have served as President of the IWRA in its more than 50-year history. She has an extensive publication record including peer-reviewed articles, books, book chapters, policy briefs, and opinion pieces in both print and online media. Her work has been translated into Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. She serves on editorial boards of several leading journals and edits major book series with Springer-Nature.
The Ven Te Chow Memorial Lecture provides for an outstanding lecture at the IWRA World Water Congresses in honour of the first president of IWRA. Nominees should be well-known in the water community, and have a demonstrated ability to give outstanding lectures. The awardee will deliver a lecture at the XVIII World Water Congress in Beijing, in September 2023, that promotes the objectives of IWRA, especially to:
- Lead and influence water policy and governance;
- Develop and publicise tools for assessment, improvement and integrated use of water;
- Advance water resources planning, management, development, technology, research and education at international, regional, and national levels; and
- Generate, synthesise, and disseminate knowledge and information in the area of water and related resources and the environment.
The winners will receive their awards during the XIX World Water Congress in Marrakech, Morocco (December 1-5, 2025)!
