Congress Themes & Issues

Foundations for Global Water Security and Resilience: Knowledge, Technology and Policy

A. Building resilient systems for climate change, growing populations and epidemics

A1. Balancing critical water needs: the people-food-energy-environment nexus

A2. Managing water scarcity: supply-side and demand-side options

A3. Reducing disaster risks: improving preparedness and resilience

A4. Water sanitation and health: deepening inclusion, access and service

A5. Financing resilience: challenges, opportunities and risks

(NEW) A6. Responding to a crisis: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic

B. Maximising social, cultural and economic benefits

B1. Valuing water: perspectives from grass-roots to governments

B2. Water allocation and governance: balancing equity, legal and economic needs

B3. Access and authority: empowering youth women and other disadvantaged groups

B4. Cultural water: traditional and indigenous values in water policy, planning and law

B5. Community participation: local programs improving water access and quality

C. Adopting smart technologies, policies and processes

C1. Water-smart cities: re-thinking the urban water cycle from site to basin scale

C2. Smart water and ICT: applications for developing and developed countries

C3. Water and food: improving efficiency, productivity and nutritional outcomes

C4. Appropriate technologies: low-cost innovations from concept to business plan

C5. Smarter water: latest advances in education, research and development

D. Securing healthy waters, catchments and ecosystems

D1. Basins and catchments: implementing IWRM from source to sea

D2. Rivers and wetlands: ecological and engineering approaches to rehabilitation

D3. Environmental water: innovations and outcomes in policy, law and practice

D4. Improving water quality: new economic, legal, regulatory and technical approaches

D5. Climate change and ecosystems: repairing impacts and preventing damage

E. Implementing pathways for development and cooperation

E1. Managing trans-boundary waters: advances, regressions and prospects

E2. Water and migration: understanding and mitigating key drivers and risks

E3. Water governance: reflections on progress in policy, law and institutional reform

E4. River basin organisations: case studies highlighting successes and challenges

E5. Grass-roots action: collaboration in local government and civil society programs

1.Sharing and communicating data, knowledge and information

1.1 Education and capacity-building: meeting the needs of developing countries

1.2. ICT platforms and apps: new initiatives and approaches to information sharing

1.3. Bridging science and policy: reflections on the Cancun Declaration from WWC XVI

2. Catalysing private sector engagement and participation

2.1. Water risks: improving water use and quality at sites and in supply chains

2.2. Financing needs: making the water sector more attractive for investors

2.3. Local participation: emerging roles and opportunities for small and large business

3. Delivering SDG outcomes: Five years on and looking to 2030

3.1. Progress on implementation: national, regional and thematic perspectives

3.2. Predictions for 2030: best case, likely and worst-case scenarios

3.3.Technology and knowledge needs: availability, affordability, sustainability

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