Programme features and highlights
WWCE 2026 Forums and Summit
The programme in Glasgow will include a number of agenda-setting Forums. These will include regular features in the event programme, such as the Utility Leaders Forum, International Water Regulators Forum, Emerging Water Leaders Forum, and Groundwater Forum. Alongside these, the UK as host country has brought forward three thematic forums – the Nature & Resilience Forum, the Valuing Resources Forum, and the One Health Forum – as well the invitation-only high-level Glasgow Summit.
The High-Level Summit will explore the role institutions and corporate organisations can play to ensure sustained financing and to consider implications for attracting private and commercial finance.
The IWA Emerging Water Leaders Forum is an event which sets an open platform for young water professionals to connect with their peers from around the world. The Forum is a place to share professional experiences and highlight the critical responsibility of Young Water Professionals (YWPs) working on solutions for the future of water.
Open to all YWPs attending the congress
The Groundwater Forum aims to promote groundwater as a critical resource to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The forum will explore and facilitate participant discussions on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a groundwater-based water supply. By sharing knowledge on the resilience of a groundwater-based water supply in times of conflict and climatic crisis, the forum aims to support water utilities and other decision-makers urgently in need of future-proof strategies.
The International Water Regulators Forum (IWRF) is the international meeting of the global network of regulators of IWA. It gathers high-level representatives of regulatory authorities and officials of agencies with regulatory and supervisory functions over the provision of water, sanitation, and wastewater treatment services.
The 10th IWRF will be held during the IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition in October 2026 in Glasgow, UK, where a highly prioritised agenda addressing current regulatory priority challenges and topics of interest to regulators will be covered. The Forum is being shaped and steered by a diverse and motivated Programme Committee, a committed group of professionals consisting of high-profile members of the IWA Regulators Community.
The Nature & Resilience Forum will explore how partners can be aligned, funding mechanisms mobilised, and long-term benefits sustained, as catchments face increasing pressure from the impacts of climate change and the role of nature-based solutions becomes ever more critical.
The One Health Forum will explore the interconnections between water, health, and wellbeing, addressing emerging threats to water quality and examining the links between water, food systems, and society’s role in safeguarding water quality.
Convened around the needs and interests of water and wastewater utility leaders charged with service delivery, the Utility Leaders Forum (ULF) is a unique opportunity for those tasked with managing utilities to exchange views, network and to access the insights of prominent water utility leaders in a setting that is by utility leaders for utility leaders.
The Forum will bring together some of the world’s most prominent water utility leaders with the most impactful case studies to share experiences and knowledge. Curated by an international committee of experienced utility practitioners, the forum is structured to facilitate an open and interactive dialogue around some of the most critical issues facing utilities. Active delegate participation will be key.
The Valuing Resources Forum will focus on rainwater management strategies, the sustainable use of bioresources, and partnerships that enable circular solutions at scale, recognising the role of circular economy thinking in transforming today’s waste and underutilised streams into high-value resources.