The recent success of the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition is the latest sign that IWA is thriving. Kala Vairavamoorthy explores the reasons behind this.
Fresh from another outstanding Congress, I was reflecting on just what it is that keeps IWA going from strength to strength. What is it that makes us special? For sure, it is all about our members. But what is it about the way we work, how we are set up – what is it in our DNA – that delivers success?
Like the water we steward, I see that our mission and members are never still, instead responding to demand in new ways and in new places. This mobility sets us apart and equips us for the future.
Ahead, it is clear that international water-focused organisations face challenges more pressing than ever. Many struggle to remain relevant, grappling with weak governance, financial instability, lack of diversity, and a failure to adapt to the changing needs of their members and constituencies – all areas in which IWA is strong. In this landscape, organisations may fail or lose credibility. At IWA, we are acutely aware that our success cannot be taken for granted. We must remain vigilant and proactive in responding to the complexities of today’s global environment. And the signs are positive, with IWA evolving and growing in stature as a bridge-builder, dismantling silos and opening pathways to connect and pull in broad stakeholders spanning dimensions such as finance, regulation, policy and decision-making.
Our Congresses – a platform empowering practical change
So, our evolution sees us thriving, and that thriving is evident in our relevance. We can see a microcosm of that relevance in our World Water Congress & Exhibition (WWCE) series, demonstrated vividly recently in Toronto.
At its core, the Congress is a member-led initiative, driven by the interests and expertise of our network. From the Programme Committee to workshops and member segment-led forums, we put members in the driving seat, shaping the fabric of the event. We do not charge fees for staging workshops, meaning their inclusion is based on merit, and many of the workshops are organised in partnership with leading organisations. This all means the Congress embodies our commitment to inclusivity and is responsive to sector needs. Furthermore, the high level of youth participation adds a vital dimension, ensuring fresh perspectives and emerging leaders are integral to the conversation.
The success of our Congresses extends beyond simply gathering experts. They embody IWA’s raison d’être, bridging science and practice and diffusing new ideas. By being a powerful interface between researchers and practitioners accelerating the adoption of new approaches and technologies, they act as catalysts for transformation in the water sector. We apply this to target critical challenges such as climate change, lack of sanitation, and emerging contaminants. In doing so, this platform fosters the readiness of the global water community to implement solutions and drive meaningful change.
Additionally, the Congress is powered by member segment-led agendas that tackle pressing issues through forums such as the Utility Leaders Forum, Industrial Water Forum, Groundwater Forum, and the International Water Regulators Forum. These promote meaningful discussions that influence the future of the water sector.
These forums in particular go beyond technology. They draw in utility leaders, regulators and others with a vital role in implementation, who shape the conditions that allow solutions to be taken up. So, by integrating technological readiness with organisational, social, and regulatory preparedness, our Congresses – as is the case also for our Water and Development Congresses in intervening years – position IWA such that we can convene, advance discussions, and lead in the shaping of policies and scalable, sustainable solutions.
“the Congress embodies our commitment to inclusivity and is responsive to sector needs”
More broadly, our open, pluralistic approach enables knowledge exchange in all directions, including South-South. Our Water and Development Congress in Kigali last December was a testament to this last point, with strong exchange between Africa and Asia. Furthermore, with our many Specialist Group events taking place all around the world, our wider events programme is not locked into a single regional orthodoxy.
It’s in our DNA
This restless approach, with constant motion, didn’t happen overnight, or by accident. It is rather the result of a unique genetic code through which we adapt to a fast-moving world.
Agility is part of this make-up. We know when to strategically move forward and adjust our focus, allowing for organic evolution within our structure. For example, in the past, alongside serving members, we pursued diverse project-based initiatives. Today we are focused on our central mission of serving member interests and our programmatic activity is tightly focused on our core strengths, ensuring we manage the present while also preparing for the future.
Financial sustainability is another cornerstone of IWA’s DNA. We practise financial prudence, living within our means without relying on external subsidies or government support. This model ensures long-term independence and allows us to focus on delivering value to our members.
But beyond these, there are a few key elements that are central to our ability to adapt, grow and, as a result, provide leadership in our sector.
Blueprint for our fluid future
The core of IWA’s success has always been our Strategic Plan. Our soon-to-be-announced 2025-2030 plan not only reflects today’s water sector realities, but also anticipates future trends, challenges, and opportunities.
This new plan was framed by the Board, endorsed by the Governing Assembly, and built through wide consultation with Governing Members, Specialist Groups, the Strategic Council, and Young Water Professionals. This approach highlights the inclusivity strand of our DNA at work, ensuring representation of the global water community by design: we are a demand-driven organisation where members take the lead, embodying a pluralistic governance model that prioritises diverse perspectives.
Powered by this commitment, the plan recognises how civilisation is already under unprecedented stress, in an age of shifting climate patterns, population growth, and rapid urbanisation that compound pressure on water systems. It positions IWA as a key player in a global movement that is about more than the water itself, but also the interlocking systems that support water governance and infrastructure.
Our Strategic Plan advances the need for action on climate change, both in terms of adaptation and resilience and of mitigation opportunities. At the same time, it has a strong focus on sanitation around the world – and IWA’s leadership opportunity in this area. And running right through our sector, the new plan advances our ambitions on digitalisation.
Empowered by this strategic outlook, all parts of IWA can advance options that are relevant to future needs. Thanks to the IWA model, they can draw on insights from all around the world, especially from the Global South, and address challenges of developing and developed regions, whether that be applying decentralised water systems, nature-based solutions, solutions that integrate circular economy principles, and so on. Our growing digital toolbox will be vital in helping transform water utilities to operate more efficiently. Together we can advance an IWA that is committed to scaling up innovations, with developing countries at the forefront of many of the most exciting changes.
Infusions of fresh blood empower our future
If our Strategic Plan is IWA’s blueprint, then our Young Water Professionals (YWPs) are the incoming generation who will be responsible for bringing it to life. We do more than welcome their questions, innovations, and ambition into IWA; we depend on it. Their infusion of energy is central to who we are and how we operate, ensuring IWA remains agile and forward thinking.
With their contribution supercharged by interaction through the IWA network with more established great minds, YWPs play key roles in shaping IWA’s programmes and global discussions. Their tech-savvy approach bridges traditional practices and the demands of the digital age. Beyond technology, YWPs bring a strong social conscience to water governance, advocating for inclusion and diversity. By pushing for climate justice, they ensure that vulnerable communities are not left behind.
Again, this inclusion of YWP voices from all around the world is by design, and the payback is that our agenda further reflects the widest possible range of concerns and perspectives.
Governance of, by and for members at every level
At the core of IWA’s nimble adaptability and resilience is our commitment to democratic governance. Undoubtedly one of our greatest strengths, our åmember-led, demand-driven structure ensures that water professionals from all regions and sectors are heard, and their needs addressed. Members can shape our direction, regardless of their geographic location or economic status. Such inclusive governance isn’t done for its own sake – it ensures IWA is more responsive and more relevant.
Indeed, from inception, IWA was created as a space for scientists, policymakers, and practitioners to collaborate across disciplines and geographies, representing a vision of knowledge exchange that is critical to solving global water challenges.
Drawing further on these experts from various disciplines, our Specialist Groups (SGs) exemplify this democratic governance in action. Whether it is advancing decentralised sanitation, promoting water reuse, exploring utilities’ roles in emissions reductions, sharing experiences of use of AI, and any number of emerging options, these groups act as incubators for new ideas and uptake of solutions. With such member-led activity raising the bar globally, we see how IWA’s distributed and modular network enables rapid, versatile and flexible responses to emerging issues. This adaptability is key to our success in a rapidly changing world.
“community-driven agendas will provide focus and direction”
And just as we have a diverse Secretariat, IWA’s Governing Members, coming from diverse geographies, further ensure our organisation reflects the full breadth of the global water community. The new Strategic Plan emphasises the key role of Governing Members as IWA’s representation in countries and regions, with this engagement to be strengthened under the plan.
So, as IWA looks forward to the future World Water Congresses in Glasgow, Kuching, and São Paulo through to 2030, and the Water and Development Congresses and Specialist Group events between them, we can be confident that community-driven agendas will provide focus and direction. This democratic input will power the programmes and advance the readiness agenda, especially through platforms such as the Utility Leaders Forum and the International Water Regulators Forum.
Digital tools for inclusive transformation
To improve the flow of such distilled and diverse ideas, IWA has also embraced digital platforms that enhance democratic engagement. IWA Connect Plus, our online membership portal, lets members collaborate in real time, and access and share resources. Deepening and broadening member engagement, it helps keep us at the forefront of shaping the water agenda.
With the world facing increasingly complex water challenges, our ability to digitise knowledge and share innovations has become more essential than ever. We have extended our reach by embracing Open Access, ensuring vital knowledge and learning resources are now available to all, everywhere, free of charge. Such democratisation of knowledge has levelled the playing field, especially for professionals in Least Developed Countries, who previously may have lacked access to such resources. We have also added huge value to IWA membership, with members able to access the vast water-specific resources in the Treasure Chest library in Connect Plus, plugging them into the insights from our flagship events and Specialist Group conferences, magazine articles, webinars and more. Removing barriers empowers a new generation of water professionals to take the lead in any region and sector of the world.
Still, digitalisation is only part of the IWA equation. Further transformation comes from ensuring that more voices are heard from traditionally underrepresented regions. Our efforts to diversify our membership among women, youth, and professionals from Africa, Asia, and Latin America helps us reflect a more equitable and representative – and thus better governed – water sector.
The ever-evolving current
IWA is, was, and will continue to evolve as a living, breathing organisation. Like water, we are in constant motion, adapting to the challenges and opportunities around us. Our success lies in our ability to balance tradition with innovation, stability with flexibility.
In a world where so many organisations are struggling to maintain relevance, we see others outside our immediate membership turning to IWA more than ever as a platform of choice, seeking to align themselves with our values and expertise. That said, while proud of where we’ve come from, we can never rest, never grow complacent. Rather, with each new handshake, each day, each new discovery, we become more excited about where we’re headed.
Yes, we are endowed with a built-in natural DNA of resilience. Yet nurture plays a decisive role. Our constant infusions of fresh blood, our commitment to inclusivity, and our member-driven democratic governance ensure we reflect a global water community in which all voices – from the Global North and Global South, young and old, and from all levels of development – are heard and valued. This ensures IWA remains dynamic, forward-looking, and ever-relevant, shaping a better-governed, more inclusive global water agenda. •
The author: Kala Vairavamoorthy is CEO of the International Water Association
