Dr. Renée Martin-Nagle, IWRA Treasurer
The solstice brings a change of seasons, and IWRA is also experiencing some changes in the coming months.
First, and most importantly, as we do every three years, IWRA’s members will elect a new Board of Directors this year, and nominations are now open.
Here are the member positions available on the Board:
- 1 President
- 3 Vice-Presidents
- 1 Secretary General
- 1 Treasurer (must be from the United States)
- 1 Membership Committee Chair
- 1 Awards Committee Chair
- 1 Scientific, Technical & Publications Committee Chair
- 10 Directors
As Treasurer for three terms, I can attest to the benefits of serving in a leadership capacity for IWRA. Not only do we get to work with dedicated colleagues on fascinating topics and projects, but we also have a forum that allows us to make a positive difference for the water sector and the world through collaboration and shared synergies. You can nominate someone using this form until 31 July: more information on the nomination process can be found here. Self-nominations are accepted, and if you have the time and desire for pro bono board service, I highly encourage you to consider taking a seat on the IWRA Board.
Another big change in the coming months is that IWRA is hosting its 1st Islands Water Congress, which will take place 4-6 September in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, which is being hosted by the Faroese Geological Survey. With a theme of “Freshwater and Islands: Administration, Collaboration and Innovation”, this inaugural Islands Water Congress will explore the unique freshwater challenges faced by islands and will offer potential solutions. We invite anyone with an interest in freshwater management to join us for this ground-breaking event.
Speaking of Congresses, IWRA is actively seeking a host for its XIX and XX World Water Congresses. As the recent XVIII World Water Congress in Beijing illustrated, IWRA’s flagship event, which is held every two or three years, serves as a meeting place for thousands of water specialists to gather, network and share problems, ideas and solutions. If you know of an organisation that would be willing to help us bridge science and policy through hosting a World Water Congress, please contact IWRA at office@iwra.org.
IWRA also continues to have a global presence through collaboration with other organisations who are active in the global water dialogue. During 18-25 May, IWRA’s President Yuanyuan Li, its Executive Director Callum Clench and other IWRA Board members and staff attended the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, where they participated and led various conference sessions and World Water Council Board of Governors activities. Two weeks later, in support of IWRA’s recent MOU with the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), I attended the AWS Global Water Stewardship Forum in Edinburgh, Scotland, (6-7 June), and spoke on the closing panel that summarised the two-day event. The following week, (10-13 June), IWRA’s Vice President Lesha Witmer attended the Third Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference in Tajikistan.
Finally, I would like to thank you, our members, for your continuing support of IWRA and its mission of bridging science and policy. Without you, we would not have been able to thrive for more than fifty years. For the first time in history, we have reached an impressive milestone. We now have an individual membership network of over 5,000 individual members! We hope that we continue to repay your trust and support through our activities, programming and opportunities for networking, research and collaboration.
