International Water Resources Association

IWRA Board Face-to-Face Meeting
2019-03-10 - 2019-03-11 | Paris, France

5th Arab Water Week
2019-03-03 - 2019-03-07 | Dead Sea, Jordan
Fifth Arab Water Week 2019
Towards Sustainable Development in Water and Sanitation

Access to safe water and sanitation is essential to human health, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity. This vital resource is under threat, making it crucial to address the challenges related to water, sanitation and hygiene for populations and water-related ecosystems.
Achieving universal access to drinking water, sanitation, hygiene and ensuring that services are safely managed remain major challenges, and meeting them is crucial to further progress in health, education and poverty eradication.
Read more about Arab Water Week (AWW)

IHE Delft Water & Peace Seminar
2019-02-21 - 2019-02-22 | The Hague, Netherlands
The Water Diplomacy Team at IHE Delft is pleased to announce that it will organize 2019 Water and Peace Seminar. This seminar will take place on 21-22 February in The Hague area, Netherlands.
About the Seminar
The seminar will focus on the principle of no significant harm and its role in water diplomacy with all its different dimensions. The principle of no significant harm is one of the key principles in international water law pursuant to which riparians must ‘in utilizing an international watercourse in their territories, take all appropriate measures to prevent the causing of significant harm to other watercourse States’. However, the principle has been subject to competing interpretations by different disciplinary, regional or practical backgrounds and its operationalisation, especially for specific basins, remains challenging.
Main Objectives
The seminar intends to be a forum for interdisciplinary and interactive discussions based on your knowledge and expertise, focusing on:

the challenges of defining, operationalising, and monitoring the principle of no significant harm from a multi-disciplinary perspective and from both academic and practical angles,
the use of the principle by different communities, disciplines and schools of thought and the respective implications for cooperation and sustainable water resources management in different basins, especially in light of different interests and power distributions.

Please note this event is for invited guest only

1st World Summit on Leaving No One Behind
2019-02-07 - 2019-02-08 | WIPO, Geneva, Switzerland
Human Rights Based Solutions for Access to Water and Sanitation, Geneva, 7-8th February 2019, WIPO Conference Centre
The Summit will be the first event in 2019 to find ground-breaking technical and governance solutions for the topic of “Leaving No One Behind”, bringing governance leaders and funding agencies together. The structure of the summit invites innovative research through a competitive call for abstracts through our combined technical networks, culminating in a prestigious Awards Dinner. The following day provides a more dynamic platform for bringing real projects and funders together in an engaging manner. Importantly, the outcome will set off a stream of chosen projects that can help to solve some of the challenges for the people that are being left behind in the least developed countries. These projects and tangible outcomes will be presented as workable solutions at forthcoming high-level events. It is planned to run this Summit annually, teaming the “Leaving No One Behind” topic with the annual UN-Water theme, such as Climate Change in 2020.

30th UN-Water Meeting
2019-01-31 - 2019-02-01 | FAO HQ, Rome, Italy
UN-Water Members and Partners, including IWRA, gather to discuss issues related to UN-Water. This meeting will take place at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. For more information please contact IWRA Executive Office at office@iwra.org.

Singapore Water Management Series on Water Quality
2019-01-14 - 2019-01-18 | Singapore Water Academy, Singapore
​​​​​The Singapore Water Academy’s Urban Water Management Series will offer water professionals practition​​er-based technical solutions in urban water sustainability.
If you are a senior utility or industry technical water practitioner, you are invited you to join the SgWA Urban Water Management Series.
You will hear from leaders in their fields who will bring best practices in different aspects of urban water management in​to the classroom, using Singapore as a case study.​​​​​​​​​​​
The Singapore Water Management Series focuses on the 4 key areas of: ​
A. Water Quality Management​
B. Sustainable Urban Stormwater Management
C. Water Supply Network
D. Water Reuse

IWRA 2019-2021 Board 1st Teleconference
2019-01-09

IWRA Executive Board Meeting
2019-01-09
IWRA Executive Board meetings offer a unique opportunity for the Association’s Board members to gather and discuss quaterly on its strategy direction, initiatives and projects as well as its statutory work and any updates. The Editor-in-Chief of Water International and its Executive Office also join these meetings for better coordination, assistance and implementation of IWRA’s work and activities.

Water Security and Climate Change Conference
2018-12-03 - 2018-12-07 | Nairobi, Kenya
The WSCC 2018 at Kenyatta University takes up the “bridge-building” aspect of WCSS 2017 and will provide continuity in serving as a platform for discussions towards water secure societies. The conference will be a stimulus for discussing new and innovative ideas with special attention to SDGs dealing with “Zero Hunger and Food Security”, “Ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation”, “Clean Water and Sanitation”, “Sustainable Cities and Communities”, and “Combating climate change and its impacts”.
In all aspects, water security is the main focus, as reflected in the conference sessions and dialogue forums. Space is given to meet the new dimensions and perspectives in the current discourse on water security and related SDGs. Against this background researchers, professionals, practitioners, politicians, industry, NGOs and other thematically involved societal groups are invited to enter the interactive, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary conference space.

COP 24 - 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
2018-12-02 - 2018-12-14 | Katowice, Poland
COP24 is the informal name for the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The UNFCCC is a “Rio Convention”, one of three adopted at the “Rio Earth Summit” in 1992. The UNFCCC entered into force on 21 March 1994. Today, it has near-universal membership. The countries that have ratified the Convention are called Parties to the Convention. Preventing “dangerous” human interference with the climate system is the ultimate aim of the UNFCCC.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme body of the UNFCCC Convention. It consists of the representatives of the Parties to the Convention. It holds its sessions every year. The COP takes decisions which are necessary to ensure the effective implementation of the provisions of the Convention and regularly reviews the implementation of these provisions.
In accordance with a decision of the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Convention (COP22) in Marrakesh in November 2016, the successive climate summit will be held in Poland. Poland was selected to host this event within the framework of the Eastern European Group (EEG).
Poland will hold the Presidency of the Climate Convention for the third time.

IWRA's Anniversary
2018-11-29
In 2018, IWRA celebrated its 47th anniversary, having been established on November 29th, 1971 in the United States. Since then, the Association has grown to become a preeminent key actor working internationally for the sustainable use and management of the world’s water resources.
IWRA was glad to share this important moment with its members, who play such an instrumental role in the International Water Resources Association’s past, present and future. We thank all members that contributed to our story, shared their knowledge and expertise, committed to our projects and activities, and helped to make us what we are today. Similarly, we welcome new members, including students, young professionals, academics, scientists, professionals, policy makers, organisations and institutions that will continue to help build a meaningful and rewarding future for IWRA by promoting water resources research, by generating and sharing knowledge, and by working to bridge the science and policy arenas.
Over the last year, IWRA actively worked and engaged with members, partners and supporters in line with its mission, strategic directions and objectives in multiple ways. This included launching the organisation of the XVII World Water Congress to be held in Daegu, Korea (11-15 May, 2020); the publication of eight issues of its flagship journal Water International and a new IWRA Policy Briefs Green Series exclusively for members; networking at multiple scales, including the World Water Forum, the Korea International Water Week 2018 and eight IWRA webinars; the launch of two main reports on Water Quality and Smart Water Management with the help of dedicated member-led tasks forces; as well as many other activities and initiatives to be found at www.iwra.org.
IWRA looks forward to continuing to work closely with its membership and the international water community, while supporting global development agendas for the sustainable use and management of the water resources in years to come!

World Toilet Day
2018-11-19
The campaign was be called ‘When nature calls’, focusing on the sanitation solutions we can find in nature.

International Symposium of Eco-Hydrology and Water Security: Opportunities & Challenges from Developing Countries
2018-10-16 - 2018-10-18 | Xi’an City, Shaanxi, China
This symposium will focus on “water for ecosystem” and “water for community” raising two essential topics, namely eco-hydrology and water security. Both global and regional levels of water policy and water strategy will be considered, which are crucial for top level sustainable planning of water-based development of urban city and rural areas especially in highly-populated developing regions. This international symposium will focus on the water security problem (e.g. water supply, rivers drying up, water quality, floods etc.) and ecosystem-related water issues (e.g., wetland degradation, hydrobiology, ecosystem resilience) in the global community with some focus on developing regions. It is intended to discuss the frontier of eco-hydrology and sustainable development based on environmentally friendly solutions, together with the international frontiers of hydrological science programmes, e.g., Panta Rhei from IAHS, new Eco-hydrology Programme from IHP-UNESCO and Future Earth. The symposium will bring together top experts from scientific institutions and international organizations and will provide an open platform for the discussion about theories, methodologies and their practices facing to demands from developing countries in the world including China practices.
CONTACTS:

Secretary General: Prof. SONG Jinxi, jinxisong@nwu.edu.cn
Chairman: Prof. XIA, Jun, xiaj@igsnrr.ac.cn

Korea International Water Week (KIWW) 2018
2018-09-12 - 2018-09-15 | Daegu Metropolitan City, Korea, Republic of
Stay tuned for more updates on IWRA’s presence at this event in September on high-level panels, regular sessions, the awards ceremony and a booth at the EXPO area!
About the KIWW2018:

Global Leadership for SDGs

Water Leader’s Round Table
World Water Partnership
World Water Challenge 2018

Implementation of Solution

TIP Platform (Technology, Implementation, Policy Platform)
2018 Water Environment Policy Forum
Water Environment Forum for International Cooperations
Water Cities Forum

Economic & Social Value Creation

Water Business Forum
WBF Partner Square
R&D Collaboration for Water Tech. Innovation

Knowledge Sharing/Capacity Building

Water Culture and Citizen Forum
Korea Junior Water Prize 2018
Water Environment Policy & Technology Contest
EXPO

World Water Week
2018-08-26 - 2018-08-31 | Stockholm, Sweden
World Water Week is the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues. It is organized by SIWI. In 2018, World Water Week will address the theme “Water, ecosystems and human development”. In 2017, over 3,300 individuals and around 380 convening organizations from 135 countries participated in the Week.

Experts, practitioners, decision-makers, business innovators and young professionals from a range of sectors and countries visit Stockholm to network, exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today.

IWRA was excited to host a session on Smart Water Management at this major water week 2018 alongside K-water, Xylem, IVL and IWA on Thursday 30 August at 11:00am – 12:30pm in the FH Little Theatre.
The session looked at how projects from around the world in both developed and developing countries are using smart technology to resolve current water challenges. Speakers discussed a range of ideas related to smart technology implementation, including case specific lessons learned, challenges and enabling factors. IWRA welcomed all IWRA members for what was be a very interesting discussion about the future of smart water management!

29th UN-Water Meeting
2018-08-24 - 2018-08-25 | Stockholm, Sweden
UN-Water Members and Partners, including IWRA, gather to discuss issues related to UN-Water. This meeting will take place before to the annual World Water Week. For more information please contact IWRA Executive Office at office@iwra.org.

AWRA Conference on the Science, Management and Governance of Transboundary Groundwater
2018-07-09 - 2018-07-11 | Texas, United States
AWRA’s Conference on the Science, Management and Governance of Transboundary Groundwater simply stated, transboundary groundwater is groundwater that crosses jurisdictional/political boundaries, be they boundaries between nations, states, provinces, counties, management districts, reservations, etc. IWRA’s Treasurer, Renée Martin-Nagle, presented her work on “Transboundary Offshore Freshwater, Which Law Will Apply?”.

High-Level Political Forum 2018
2018-07-09 - 2018-07-18 | New York City, New York, United States
The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on sustainable development met from Monday, 9 July, to Wednesday, 18 July 2018 under the theme “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies”. The ministerial meeting of the forum was from Monday, 16 July, to Wednesday, 18 July 2018.
The HLPF also reviewed progress towards the SDGS and focused particular on:

Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, that will be considered each year

47 countries carried out Voluntary National Reviews during the ministerial meetings.
Various meetings and forums were held to prepare the HLPF and multiple inputs were provided. Special events, side events, a VNR Lab and other meetings were held during the HLPF.
The meeting adopted a ministerial declaration. Please click here to read the HLPF blog.

Singapore International Water Week (SIWW)
2018-07-08 - 2018-07-12 | Singapore, Singapore
The Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is the global platform to share and co-create innovative water solutions. The biennial event gathers stakeholders from the global water industry to share best practices, showcase the latest technologies and tap business opportunities. SIWW is part of the strategic programme of the Singapore Government to grow the water industry and develop water technologies.
Held in between the main SIWW editions, the SIWW Spotlight series are exclusive by-invitation events to continue the dialogue from SIWW and foster ongoing exchanges on pressing challenges faced by the water industry worldwide. This meeting of minds focuses on critical issues and discussions in greater depth, where the outcomes will shape the programme and content for SIWW.
These events are organised by Singapore International Water Week Pte Ltd, a company set up by Singapore’s Ministry of the Environment & Water Resources and PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency.
The 8th Singapore International Water Week was held in conjunction with the 6th World Cities Summit and the 4th CleanEnviro Summit Singapore at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

International Union for the Conservation of Nature Academy of Environmental Law Colloquium
2018-07-02 - 2018-07-07 | Glasgow, United Kingdom
The University of Strathclyde Law School through its Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance hosted in Glasgow the 2018 instalment of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law Annual Colloquium. Over five days the University Technology and Innovation Centre became a global hub of excellence in which international academics and practitioners joined to discuss how environmental law is transforming. In particular, the colloquium explored the role of law and governance in addressing the opportunities, challenges and risks posed by technology and innovation, in order to build resilience. Together with the Colloquium itself, which runned from Wednesday 4 to Friday 6 July 2018, the University of Strathclyde also hosted events organised by the Academy’s Teaching and Research Committee on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 July 2018. IWRA’s Treasurer, Renée Martin-Nagle,presented her work on “Governance of Offshore Freshwater Resources”.

GEOGLOWS-2018 Annual Business meeting “Earth Observations for Water Sustainability”
2018-05-09 - 2018-05-11 | Reading, United Kingdom
The annual meeting was hosted by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) in Reading, UK, on 9 – 11 May 2018. The GEO Global Water Sustainability (GEOGLOWS), the freshwater Initiative of the Group on Earth Observations, provides a framework for effectively mobilizing EO assets to address issues of water sustainability through the engagement of governments and communities at the national, local, and regional levels. The agenda included discussions on project-partnerships under GEOGLOWS, such as global hydrological forecasting, the definition of Essential Water Variables, and many others.

Workshop: Hydrological Services for Business
2018-05-08 - 2018-05-09 | Reading, United Kingdom
This workshop offered a unique opportunity for global businesses to meet the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) development team and influence the future shape of its hydrological services and forecasting products.
Objectives

Introduce GloFAS services and products to the global business community
Provide a networking opportunity between a global hydrological forecasting service provider and the business sector
Identify and prioritise global business needs in terms of hydrological products and services
Draft a future development strategy for GloFAS with these needs in mind
Establish a community of users of hydrological services from the business sector
Provide GloFAS training and best practice

Portuguese Water Congress
2018-05-07 - 2018-05-09 | Evora, Portugal
The Portuguese Water Resources Association (APRH) hosted the 14th Water Congress in Évora from March 7th to 9th, 2018. The theme focused on “Water Resources Management: New Challenges”. The Water Congress addressed Water Resources Management at various levels, at a critical time of change that requires new solutions and actions that minimize these problems in the future. In this framework, the APRH invited all its associates and wider technical-scientific community to this discussion forum, to help all stakeholders in Water Resources Management find convincing scientifically based solutions for water resolution problems. This invitation extended to the Portuguese-speaking countries that, coming with their own experiences, enriched the discussion.

International Training Workshop on Management of Land Acquisition, Resettlement, and Rehabilitation (MLARR)
2018-04-16 - 2018-04-28 | National Research Center for Resettlement, Nanjing, China
The management of Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (MLARR) has become an integral part of the process of infrastructural development. However, a major challenge in this regard is the weak institutional and human resources capacity to address land acquisition and involuntary resettlement globally.
This is reflected in the limited professional staff, knowledge, technical expertise and operational experiences in resettlement policies, planning, implementation and management. Many countries have developed legislative and policy framework to manage issues in land acquisition, resettlement, rehabilitation and social safeguard.
This Hohai University training program focused on the international standards and good practices, as well as on lessons learned from case studies in China and globally. It included a 5-day field trip to the Three Gorges Dam and the Gezhouba Dam Projects. The field visits included presentations by the project staff, discussions, and field trips to resettlement sites.
The training program is targeted to an international audience – people who are involved in project planning and implementation, project managers, practitioners and people involved in project administration from public and private institutions or international financial institutions. The course was delivered by some of the world’s leading social assessment and resettlement practitioners.

World Water Day
2018-03-22
World Water Day, on 22 March every year, was about focusing attention on the importance of water. The theme for World Water Day 2018 was ‘Nature for Water’ – exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century.

Damaged ecosystems affect the quantity and quality of water available for human consumption. Today, 2.1 billion people live without safe drinking water at home; affecting their health, education and livelihoods.

Sustainable Development Goal 6 commits the world to ensuring that everyone has access to safe water by 2030, and includes targets on protecting the natural environment and reducing pollution.

8th World Water Forum - “Sharing Water”
2018-03-18 - 2018-03-23 | Brasilia, Brazil
The World Water Forum is the world’s biggest water-related event and is organized by the World Water Council (WWC), an international organization that brings together all those interested in the theme of water. Its mission is “to promote awareness, build political commitment and trigger action on critical water issues at all levels, to facilitate the efficient conservation, protection, development, planning, management and use of water in all its dimensions on an environmentally sustainable basis for the benefit of all life on Earth”.
The World Water Forum contributes to the dialogue of the decision-making process on water at the global level, seeking to achieve the rational and sustainable use of this resource. Given its political, technical and institutional scope, one of the Forum’s main features is the open, democratic participation of actors drawn from different sectors, making it an event of the greatest importance on the international agenda.
Continuing in from its role at the 7th World Water Forum as Champion for the Theme “Ensuring Water Quality from Ridge to Reef”, IWRA continued this role for the 8th World Water Forum. The IWRA Executive Office was part of the coordination group for the cross-cutting Theme of Capacity, as well as the topic coordination group for “Climate Science and Water management: the communication between science and decision/policy making” under the Theme of Climate. Last but not least, IWRA was the topic lead for “Ensuring Water Quality from Ridge to Reef”, which now sits under the Theme of Ecosystems. In this lead role Project Officer Alice Colson was providing support and general coordination to the three session groups, and liaising between the sessions and the Thematic Commission.
Given IWRA’s strong involvement in this major water event, the Executive Office had a stand in the Expo area for the whole Forum week.

ASIA 2018: Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Water Resources and Renewable Energy Development in Asia
2018-03-13 - 2018-03-15 | Danang, Viet Nam
Supported by IWRA, ASIA 2018 provided a platform for international experts from around 50 countries to focus on issues of direct relevance to Asia: helping advance projects which exploit the remaining renewable energy potential; explore investment opportunities and strategies; address major challenges such as climate resilience, and the management of floods and earthquakes; encourage best practice in project implementation; and, review advances in technology for both new and refurbishment schemes.
Recognizing that Asia is the region of the world with the largest current programme of water resources and hydro development, but also some of the greatest challenges to face, including natural hazards, challenging sites, and in some countries limited resources, Aqua~Media has been organizing regional conferences in Asia since 2006.
Key participants included government representatives (from ministries and utilities), planners, researchers, consultants, owners and operators of water infrastructure and hydro plants, contractors, suppliers, officers from the relevant professional associations, academics and students.

UN Water Meeting
2018-02-01 - 2018-02-02 | Rome, Italy
The 28th UN-Water Meeting took place from 1-2 February 2018, at IFAD headquarters in Rome, Italy. Agenda items included: 2030 Agenda update and related intergovernmental processes; Monitoring and reporting; Launch of the World Water Data Initiative – Good Practice Guidelines; Updates on World Toilet Day 2017 on Wastewater and World Water Day 2018 on Nature for Water; Selection of Coordinator(s) of World Toilet Day 2018 and World Water Day 2019; Support to the “International Decade for Action – Water for Sustainable Development” 2018 – 2028; and the Work Programme 2018-2019.

International Water Summit
2018-01-15 - 2018-01-18 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
The International Water Summit (IWS) is the world’s leading global exhibition dedicated to developing solutions for water sustainability in arid regions. IWS brings together over 9,200 visitors from 111 countries attracting government leaders, policy makers, entrepreneurs and decision makers. It constitutes an important opportunity to network and source products from 150+ exhibiting companies from 22 countries and to uncover the latest advances in water sustainability.

IWRA's Anniversary
2017-11-29
Established on 29 November 1971, IWRA was set up to meet the growing but unmet need to create a multidisciplinary association at the international level in order to fill the gaps both between disciplines and the science community with the general public and policy makers.
In the 46 years since then, while moving with the times, we have held steadfast to our core objective by holding 16 World Water Congresses; through publications, notably our flagship journal Water International; leading and collaborating with projects mainly on Water Quality, the Science-Policy Interface and Smart Water Management, as well as through networking at multiple scales, including the World Water Forum at one end and national and regional committees at the other. Today, IWRA’s mission and goals remain the same, making sure the Association promotes water research and shares knowledge towards the use of sound science to develop strong water policies, engages with members and key partners more closely, and reinforces its unique multidisciplinary network of experts concerned with the sustainable use of the water resources, globally.
IWRA looks forward to continuing this work, bringing the latest research and sharing up-to-date knowledge, engaging across projects, events and initiatives with all our members and partners, as well as collaborating up close with the international water community in years to come!
