International Water Association

International Water Association The International Water Association is the leading global network for water professionals.

Through its network of members and experts, IWA helps to create innovative, pragmatic and sustainable solutions to challenging global needs.

Five days of knowledge exchange, innovation and connection came together as the IWA drew to a close in Glasgow.The cer...
08/10/2026

Five days of knowledge exchange, innovation and connection came together as the IWA drew to a close in Glasgow.

The ceremony also recognised utilities through the 2026 IWA Climate Smart Utilities Recognition Programme and celebrated the completion of the latest IWA & GRUNDFOS Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship, with certificates presented to the Fellows.

We also heard from Honourable Ahmed Ibrahim, Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources of the Republic of Ghana, who reflected on taking the knowledge and practical experience shared in Glasgow forward to the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi.

Continuing a longstanding IWA tradition, the Congress stick was handed over to the next host city, marking the transition from Glasgow to Kuching, Malaysia, where the global water community will come together again for the 2028 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making Glasgow 2026 possible — our speakers, delegates, Programme Committee, Organising Committee, sponsors, partners, exhibitors, volunteers and the wider global water community.

Thank you, Glasgow. We look forward to seeing you in Kuching in 2028!

The 2026 IWA Climate Smart Utilities Recognition Programme was celebrated today at the IWA in Glasgow, recognising uti...
08/10/2026

The 2026 IWA Climate Smart Utilities Recognition Programme was celebrated today at the IWA in Glasgow, recognising utilities taking meaningful action to respond to climate change.

Delivered by the International Water Association, with the 2026 edition sponsored by Xylem, the programme highlights utilities at different stages of their Climate Smart journey and the practical approaches they are taking to advance mitigation, adaptation and resilience.

This year, 152 applications were received from utilities around the world. Following an initial assessment, 45 applications were shortlisted and reviewed by an independent expert jury, with each application assessed by three jury members.

A total of 41 utilities were recognised as Climate Smart Utilities: 21 in the Entrant category, for utilities at the earlier stages of their Climate Smart journey, and 20 in the Achiever category, for utilities that have made substantial progress and are actively implementing and scaling solutions.

Seven utilities received Outstanding recognition:

Entrant:
GS Inima Brasil, Manila Water Philippine Ventures & Asia Pacific – Estate Water Group, Philippines and Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services Company (NAWASSCO) NakuruWater (Nawassco), Kenya

Achiever:
United Utilities Plc, United Kingdom, PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, Zhongyuan Environmental Protection Co., Ltd., China and SMAT - Società Metropolitana Acque Torino S.p.A.

The recognised utilities will now join the Climate Smart Utilities Community of Practice, providing further opportunities to exchange experiences, share solutions and strengthen collaboration across the global water utility community.

Congratulations to all 41 recognised utilities for their contribution to advancing climate action and resilience in the water sector.

The future of decentralised sanitation is in focus at the IWA through the Next Generation Sanitation Systems (NGSS) wo...
08/10/2026

The future of decentralised sanitation is in focus at the IWA through the Next Generation Sanitation Systems (NGSS) workshops.

Across two sessions, researchers and technology developers are sharing advances in next-generation treatment systems, from resource-efficient liquid-stream treatment to compact and non-sewered sanitation technologies.

Discussions are exploring not only the technologies themselves, but also the challenges of moving from research and development towards field implementation and scale — including integration, performance, deployment and the evidence needed to support wider adoption.

By connecting different technologies and experiences, the sessions are helping identify opportunities for future research, development and collaboration across the sanitation innovation community.

Women leaders from across the global water community are sharing their experiences at the IWA through the IWA Women’s ...
08/10/2026

Women leaders from across the global water community are sharing their experiences at the IWA through the IWA Women’s Leadership Network (WLN) workshop, “Storytelling for Change — Women Leaders Driving Water Action.”

Chaired by Dr Annalisa Contos and co-chaired by Chelsea Hayward, the session brings together women at different stages of their careers to reflect on the people, opportunities and networks that have helped create space for them to lead — and how they can create that space for others.

Contributions from Rose Kaggwa, Dr. Nupur Bahadur, Dr Nerina Di Lorenzo, Beverley Stinson, Geraldine Mpouma Logmo, Dr Natalie Lamb and Liudmyla Odud explore the role of sponsorship, visibility, practical support and professional networks in helping women progress.

The workshop also marks another important step for the IWA Women’s Leadership Network, strengthening a global platform for connection, visibility and leadership across the water sector.

The IWA community came together beyond the Congress programme this evening for a special night at Kelvingrove Art Gall...
08/10/2026

The IWA community came together beyond the Congress programme this evening for a special night at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum.

Set within one of Glasgow’s most distinctive cultural landmarks, the Cultural Evening offered delegates an opportunity to experience Scottish culture and hospitality while reconnecting with colleagues and making new connections from across the global water community.

A memorable evening in Glasgow and a chance to celebrate the international community that makes the World Water Congress & Exhibition possible.

The 11th International Water Regulators Forum (IWRF) at the IWA in Glasgow brought regulators and sector leaders from ...
08/10/2026

The 11th International Water Regulators Forum (IWRF) at the IWA in Glasgow brought regulators and sector leaders from around the world together to examine how water and sanitation regulation can remain effective in an increasingly uncertain operating environment.

Held under the theme “WASH Regulation Under Uncertainty: Trust, Judgement and Long-Term Stewardship,” the Forum provided a space for open exchange on the challenges shaping the future of regulation and the approaches needed to support resilient, equitable and sustainable services.

Discussions explored the transition from compliance to performance and resilience, with a focus on ensuring regulation delivers measurable outcomes for people, communities and the environment. Participants also considered how digitalisation, regulatory intelligence and predictive approaches can strengthen decision-making and help identify emerging risks earlier.

Trust, accountability and long-term stewardship were central themes throughout the day. Regulatory independence, transparency and collaboration remain critical as regulators balance affordability, investment, environmental protection, infrastructure resilience and changing expectations of water and sanitation services.

A clear message emerged from the discussions: effective regulation is not about more regulation, but better regulation — informed by evidence, responsive to context and focused on long-term outcomes.

A special thank you to David Satti, Water Industry Commission for Scotland and Chair of the IWRF Programme Committee, for his leadership in shaping this year’s Forum. Our thanks also go to the Programme Committee, speakers, moderators and participants for contributing their expertise and perspectives throughout the day.

The conversations in Glasgow reinforce the importance of continued international cooperation as the sector works to strengthen regulation and build more resilient water and sanitation services.

The final day of the IWA begins by looking beyond Glasgow to how the conversations this week can translate into wider ...
08/10/2026

The final day of the IWA begins by looking beyond Glasgow to how the conversations this week can translate into wider action on water and sanitation.

Introduced by Mohmad Asari bin Daud, Vice President of IWA, the plenary “Water for People — beyond the High-Level Summit” was framed by Patrick Moriarty, CEO of SG Riva, building on the High-Level Summit held earlier in the week and its focus on turning global commitments into practical delivery.

Akiça Bahri, Member of the Board of Governors of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), delivered the keynote “Glasgow to Abu Dhabi — IWA Summit Report-back,” reflecting on the key messages emerging from the Summit’s three strategic sessions on inclusive service delivery, capacity and financing.

Her keynote highlighted the need to look beyond commitments and infrastructure towards the quality, reliability, affordability, safety and sustainability of the services people actually receive, while strengthening the institutions, workforce, governance and financing systems needed to support delivery at scale.

“We need to move from measuring commitments and infrastructure, to measuring sustainable service outcomes.”

“Water is a strategic entry point for systems transformation.”

The discussion then continued with Patrick Moriarty moderating a panel with Clarissa Brocklehurst, Adjunct Professor at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Linda Strande, Head of the Sandec Department at Eawag; and Aasim Mansuri, Principal Researcher and Center Head – Strategy at the Center for Water and Sanitation (CWAS), CRDF, CEPT University.

As five days of discussion in Glasgow draw towards a close, the plenary reinforces a central message from Congress: turning ambition into sustainable services requires stronger systems, institutions and action focused on the outcomes people need.

Day 4 at the IWA brought another full day of technology, regulation, operational expertise and emerging leadership to ...
07/10/2026

Day 4 at the IWA brought another full day of technology, regulation, operational expertise and emerging leadership to Glasgow.

The morning began with Prabhu C. of Arcadis and his keynote “AI insights for the water sector,” followed by a panel exploring the opportunities and challenges surrounding AI and digital transformation in water.

The 11th International Water Regulators Forum provided a global space to examine how regulation needs to evolve, with discussions spanning performance, financing, public trust, innovation and resilience.

On the exhibition floor, the Operations Challenge reached its conclusion after two days of live activity, with teams applying their operational knowledge, collaboration and decision-making skills to a simulated flooding scenario affecting Glasgow’s water and wastewater networks.

The afternoon plenary featured Meg Cummins of Aurecon, whose keynote “Learning globally, leading locally: how young water professionals are shaping the future of water” highlighted the role of emerging professionals in shaping the future of the sector, before an international panel continued the conversation.

The day concluded with the Cultural Evening at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, bringing the Congress community together for an evening of Scottish culture, conversation and connection.

Another full day of exchange, learning and collaboration in Glasgow as the Congress moves towards its final day.

The afternoon plenary at the IWA puts young water professionals and their role in shaping the future of the sector fir...
07/10/2026

The afternoon plenary at the IWA puts young water professionals and their role in shaping the future of the sector firmly in focus.

Introduced by Teodor Popa, IWA Board member, Meg Cummins, Water Engineer at Aurecon, delivered the keynote “Learning globally, leading locally: how young water professionals are shaping the future of water.” Her keynote explored how global knowledge, professional networks and local action can come together to strengthen the contribution of emerging water leaders.

The session brings the experiences and perspectives of young professionals into the wider Congress conversation, highlighting the importance of creating opportunities for the next generation to contribute, lead and influence change.

“Instead of asking, How do we prepare young water professionals for the future? we should really be asking, How can the water sector fully utilise the capacity of young water professionals to reach the future that we've all been dreaming about?”

The discussion continued with Chiara Lucia Tregnago of Xylem UK & Ireland, the YWP Italy Steering Committee and the Organising Committee of the 2026 IWA YWP European Conference, moderating a panel with Blanca Antizar, Founder and Director of Antizar Advisory Ltd; Stephen Slessor, CEO of RSE; Shivon Mehta, Assistant Civil Engineer at Mott MacDonald; and Natasha Mumba, Chair of the IWA YWP Steering Committee.

Teams are being put to the test at the IWA as the Operations Challenge gets under way on the exhibition floor. Taking ...
07/10/2026

Teams are being put to the test at the IWA as the Operations Challenge gets under way on the exhibition floor.

Taking place on 6–7 October, the Challenge places teams of water professionals into a live simulation that calls for technical knowledge, teamwork and decision-making under pressure.

Powered by Skewb's AI Control Room, the simulation has teams responding to a river flooding scenario and working together to protect Glasgow's water and wastewater networks using real-time information and performance data.

The Challenge brings the realities of utility operations to the Congress exhibition, highlighting the expertise and quick thinking required to keep essential services running.

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