The World Water Congress & Exhibition – the co-Presidents’ perspective

As co-Presidents, we are honoured to be working with the fantastic team at the IWA to host the World Water Congress & Exhibition in Glasgow this October. There has never been a more important time to come together as a global water community. We have the chance to chart a course for successful adaptation to a changed climate that is affecting all parts of the world and to create the conditions for communities across the globe to flourish. The centrality of water to all of this is perfectly captured in the Congress theme: Action for Water: the path to resilience and prosperity.

Enabled by fantastic support from the water sector, from organisations across the across the UK, Europe and beyond, and particularly from our friends at Glasgow City Council, we are looking forward to welcoming around 10,000 participants from around the world to the UK for the Congress this October.

With delays linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, this Congress has been nearly a decade in the planning, and it is the first time that the UK will have hosted the IWA Congress. Throughout this period, all of the UK water companies and the UK water industry supply chain have remained steadfast in their support, for which we are hugely grateful.

And, none of this would be possible without the excellent work of Marie Whaley, Chair of the Host Country Local Organising Committee, ably supported by Lorraine Bruce.

As co-Presidents, alongside Professor Hamanth Kasan as President of the IWA, we are also excited to be hosting a High-level Summit on October 5^th, focussed on how we, as practitioners, can help to support the efforts of the UN and the World Bank in closing the gap on UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, around ensuring access to clean water and effective sanitation for all. The aim of the Summit is to develop consensus around key themes that can help create the conditions for progress on SDG6, to feed into the UN SDG6 Conference that will take place in Abu Dhabi this December.

The diligent work of the Programme Committee has created an unrivalled opportunity for delegates to follow key content themes through the Congress through the technical programme. The Congress also features several forums, including UK-led themes on One Health, the resilience of the water cycle and partnering with nature and adapting to extremes.

Delegates can also undertake some fascinating technical tours, showcasing some of the innovative approaches being taken forward in Scotland in water and waste water.

In addition to the Congress Programme, the Exhibition will provide a rich blend of stands showcasing some of the cutting edge technology and approaches being used to tackle some of the most pressing challenges we face.

An exciting element of the Exhibition will be the IWA Operations Challenge. Here, teams will have the chance to work through a simulation of an environmental emergency and test their management and decision-making skills in real time to minimise harm and protect customers, and then to see how their choices play out!

The Exhibition will also be the home of the host nation’s UK Pavilion, which will serve as a central, highly interactive hub within the Exhibition, bringing together organisations from across the UK water sector to share expertise, foster collaboration and engage all of those attending. Led by UK Young Water Professionals, the Pavilion will be an open and welcoming space, reflecting the energy, ambition and future focus of the next generation and linking to the “Passion for the Water Profession” theme for the Exhibition.

The Pavilion will be the forum for short form talks, digital demonstrations and panel discussions, alongside interactive installations that encourage active participation rather than passive observation, anchored around three core themes: systems thinking, innovation and tools, and people skills and collaboration.

And of course, there will be the chance to experience some of the rich culture and stunning scenery of Glasgow and Scotland more widely. This will include a cultural evening event that brings together unrivalled networking opportunities with Glasgow’s vibrant cultural scene and world-class cuisine.

Everyone who comes along to the Congress in any capacity will have the chance to experience the hospitality, heritage and humour of one of the world’s friendliest cities!

More importantly, as we noted at the conclusion of the Toronto Congress when the UK accepted the baton from our Canadian colleagues, we must ensure we are not just talking to ourselves as water sector professionals when we host the 2026 event in Glasgow.  The scale of the challenges ahead mean that we need to impress upon decision-makers across the world that adopting systems-thinking, and putting that into practice, will be essential to protecting and enhancing access to clean water and effective sanitation for all nations.

Delivering a cross-cutting water transition is surely the most pressing issue facing the world today. And it is a challenge we must address effectively if we are to protect peaceful co-existence, foster sustainable growth, respond to the nature crisis, and remain resilient to more extreme weather patterns. And that is true whether you live in Scotland, Singapore or Senegal.

So, we very much look forward to welcoming you to Glasgow in October. Together we can make the IWA Congress 2026 the best ever!