The International Water Resources Association (IWRA) ran the call for applications for the World Water Envoys Programme.
The selected representatives will have the opportunity to showcase the difficult water issues they and their communities face, and the solutions they are exploring when it comes to balancing water needs of humans and nature during the XVIII World Water Congress in Beijing, China, September 11-15, 2023.
Application Process
We would like to hear stories from youth and young professional representatives at the World Water Congress. In that regard, we invited people aged 18-35 from across the globe who are passionate about water resource management, to share their stories and work as they embark on their careers. IWRA especially encouraged applications from developing countries, women and underrepresented groups.
To apply, candidates had to submit the following:
- A video recording of up to 2 minutes made on a phone or laptop introducing the conflicting water needs of humans and nature in their community, explaining what the problem is, how it is impacting their community, and what solutions have been found or are being explored so far.
- One high-resolution headshot of yourself with a clear background.
- One high-resolution digital photo that best illustrates the impact of conflicting water needs of humans and nature in their community and/or the attempted solution. The candidate should be the author of the photo.
- A completed application form, that includes all requested information, as well as consent for IWRA to use any submitted images.
- The candidates should be between 18 and 35 years old and be able to talk about their situation in public and in English. It does not matter where the candidates come from, but their community must have conflicting water needs for both humans and nature, and they must be pursuing or have achieved a solution to harmonise these.
- All items were to be sent to congress@iwra.org by the 31st of October 2022.
If you want to know more about the Terms and Conditions of the competition, please click here.
Awards and Benefits
The World Water Envoys will be funded to come to Beijing, including:
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One economy round-trip ticket to Beijing, China
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Accommodation including breakfast from 10-15 September 2023
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Travel insurance for the duration of the trip
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Full registration to the Congress, including all lunches, and a ticket to the gala dinner
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One-year free Gold membership to IWRA
About the World Water Congress and the role of the Envoys
The IWRA World Water Congress is the largest event linking water researchers and policy practitioners in the world. In its 18th edition since 1973, the theme of “Water for All: Harmony between Humans and Nature.” The Congress aims to promote coordination and balance between the water needs of humans and nature. The Congress will facilitate knowledge and experience sharing, focusing on investigating the relationship between water, humans, and nature, identifying, and reconciling all water-related factors in a coordinated manner, and making and implementing water management strategies and polices using systematic approaches.
During the Congress, each World Water Envoy will have the opportunity to briefly introduce the difficulty in balancing the water needs of humans and nature in their community and the impacts those competing needs have on everyday life. They will then have the chance to discuss these issues and potential solutions in more detail over the following days with experts attending the Congress and in a dedicated workshop.
During the Closing ceremony, they will be asked to summarise what they have learned over the week, and what connections they made that might help their community to better meet the water needs of humans and nature in their community.
The collaboration between IWRA and the World Water Envoys will begin before the Congress. The months leading up to the Congress in September 2023 are also an opportunity for the Envoys to engage with each other and with IWRA and give them the opportunity to take part in related IWRA Task Forces and projects.
Thank you to all those who submitted applications by October 31, 2022!
The XVIII World Water Congress will be hosted by IWRA and the Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing. It will be organised by the General Institute of Hydropower and Water Resources Planning and Design of the Ministry of Water Resources and the IWRA China Chapter, with the support of IWRA. With the theme of ‘Water for All: Harmony between Humans and Nature’, the XVIII World Water Congress will focus on water security at the nexus of ‘water-population-economy’.
