International Water Association
The International Water Association (IWA) is a nonprofit organization and knowledge hub for the water sector, connecting water professionals and companies to find solutions to the world's water challenges. IWA has a global secretariat in London, UK, and a regional office in Chennai, India.
Founded | 7 September 1999[1][2][3] |
---|---|
Type | Professional association |
Focus | Sustainable water management |
Location |
|
Origins | IWSA, IAWQ |
Area served | Worldwide |
Method | Conferences, publications, interest groups, task forces, forums |
Key people | Tom Mollenkopf (President); Kalanithy Vairavamoorthy (Executive Director) |
Website | www.iwa-network.org |
IWA has a membership comprising technology companies, water and wastewater utilities, and wider stakeholders in the fields of water services, infrastructure engineering and consulting as well as more than 10,000 individuals including scientists and researchers. IWA works across a wide range of issues covering the full water cycle, with four programmes (Digital Water, Basins of the Future, Cities of the Future, Water and Sanitation Services) that work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and addressing the threat to sustainable water supplies posed by climate change.
History
The IWA has its roots in the International Water Supply Association (IWSA), established in June 1947, and the International Association on Water Quality (IAWQ), which was originally formed as the International Association for Water Pollution Research (IAWPR) in 1962, formally constituted in June 1965, renamed International Association of Water Pollution Research and Control (IAWPRC) in March 1982 and adopting IAWQ in May 1992.[3][1] The two groups with separate causes, cultures, and working methods merged on 7 September 1999 to form the IWA, creating one international organisation focused on the full water cycle.[1][3]
In March 2015, AquaRating was announced as the world's first rating agency for the water sector by establishing the international standard for assessing water and sanitation services provision, jointly developed by the Inter-American Development Bank and the IWA.[4] On 1 September 2016, the World Bank and IWA announced the establishment of a partnership surrounding the reduction of water losses.[5]
Scope
The group's mission is to serve as a worldwide network for water professionals and to advance standards and best practices in sustainable water management. The association has four member types: individual, student, corporate, and governing members. There are about 10,000 individual and 500 corporate members, with governing members in approximately 80 countries.
IWA Publishing was established as the wholly owned subsidiary of the International Water Association (IWA) in 1999 to provide information services on all aspects of water, wastewater and related environmental fields. The publishing programme includes The Source (the IWA membership magazine) and a broad range of peer reviewed journals (e.g. Water Science and Technology, Hydrology Research and Water Research) alongside books, research reports, manuals of best practice, and online services.[7]
IWA annually hosts more than 40 specialist conferences and workshops on various aspects of water management. Events organized by the IWA include the World Water Congress & Exhibition (WWCE) and the Water and Development Congress & Exhibition.[6][8][2]
There are four programs at the IWA:
- Basins of the future[9](water security)
- Cities of the future[10] (urban metabolism, sustainable city)
- Water and sanitation services[11](wastewater management)
- Water policy and regulation[12]
WWCE locations and dates
Edition | Name | Dates | Location | Notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1st IWA World Water Congress | 3-7 July 2000 | Paris, France | [1][2] | |
2 | 2nd IWA World Water Congress | 15-19 October 2001 | Berlin, Germany | [1] | |
3 | 3rd IWA World Water Congress | 7-12 April 2002 | Melbourne, Australia | Together with the Enviro 2002 Convention & Exhibition | [1][7] |
4 | 4th IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition | 19-24 September 2004 | Marrakech, Morocco | [1] | |
5 | 2006 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition | 10-14 September 2006 | Beijing International Convention Center, Beijing, People's Republic of China | [1] | |
6 | 2008 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition | 7-12 September 2008 | Austria Center Vienna, Vienna, Austria | [1] | |
7 | 2010 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition | 19-23 September 2010 | Palais des congrès de Montréal, Montreal, Canada | [1][2] | |
8 | 2012 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition | 16-21 September 2012 | Busan Exhibition and Convention Center, Busan, South Korea | [1] | |
9 | 2014 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition | 21-26 September 2014 | Centro de Congressos de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal | [1][13] | |
10 | 2016 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition | 9-14 October 2016 | Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | [1][14] | |
11 | 2018 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition | 16-21 September 2018 | Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan | [15] | |
12 | 2022 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition | 11-15 September 2022 | Bella Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark | Due to the COVID-19, the congress was moved from 2020 to 2022 | [6] |
13 | 2024 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition |
References
- Paul Reiter (1 September 2022). "The Founding and Evolution of IWSA and IAWQ 1947 -1999 and the Creation of IWA in 2000 and its Evolution through 2015" (PDF). International Water Association (IWA). pp. 1, 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- "World Water Congress & Exhibition - About". www.worldwatercongress.org. International Water Association (IWA). Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- "International Association on Water Quality (IAWQ)". uia.org. Global Civil Society Database. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- "IDB and IWA set up AquaRating, the world's first rating agency for the water sector". Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). 2 March 2015. Archived from the original (News release) on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- "The World Bank and the International Water Association to Establish a Partnership to Reduce Water Losses". Stockholm, Sweden: World Bank. World Bank press release. 1 September 2016. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- "Welcome to Denmark". IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition : Water for Smart Liveable Cities : Congress Programme & Exhibition Catalogue (PDF). Copenhagen: International Water Association (IWA). September 2022. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- "About us". IWA Publishing. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- "About: The leading water sector network". www.waterdevelopmentcongress.org. International Water Association (IWA). 2017. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- "Basins of the Future".
- "Cities of the Future".
- "Water and Sanitation Services".
- "Water Policy and Regulation".
- "IWA Lisbon 2014: Highlights IWA world water congress 2014 in pictures". Dutch Water Sector. www.dutchwatersector.com. 29 September 2014. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- "World Water Congress & Exhibition 2016". World Health Organization (WHO). Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- "The Japan Times to Participate as a Media Partner at the 2018 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition". www.japantimes.co.jp. Japan Times. 23 April 2018. Archived from the original (Press release) on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.