The International Water Association (IWA) is a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

and knowledge hub for the water sector, connecting water professionals and companies to find solutions to the world's water challenges. The IWA is headquartered in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, UK, with a global secretariat based in Nanjing, China, and a regional office in Chennai, India. IWA has a membership comprising technology companies, water and wastewater utilities, and wider stakeholders in the fields of water services, infrastructure engineering and consulting as well as more than 10,000 individuals including scientists and researchers. IWA works across a wide range of issues covering the full

water cycle The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle, is a biogeochemical cycle that describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. The mass of water on Earth remains fairly cons ...

, with four programmes (Digital Water, Basins of the Future, Cities of the Future, Water and Sanitation Services) that work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and addressing the threat to sustainable water supplies posed by

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

History

The IWA has its roots in the ''International Water Supply Association'' (IWSA), established in June 1947, and the ''International Association on Water Quality'' (IAWQ), which was originally formed as the ''International Association for Water Pollution Research'' (IAWPR) in 1962, formally constituted in June 1965, renamed ''International Association of Water Pollution Research and Control'' (IAWPRC) in March 1982 and adopting IAWQ in May 1992. The two groups with separate causes, cultures, and working methods merged on 7 September 1999 to form the IWA, creating one international organisation focused on the full water cycle. In March 2015, AquaRating was announced as the world's first rating agency for the water sector by establishing the international standard for assessing water and sanitation services provision, jointly developed by the Inter-American Development Bank and the IWA. On 1 September 2016, the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

and IWA announced the establishment of a partnership surrounding the reduction of water losses.

Scope

International Water Association flags outside Bella Center Copenhagen Congress Center 2022

The group's mission is to serve as a worldwide network for water professionals and to advance standards and best practices in sustainable

water management Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; slight ...

. The association has four member types: individual, student, corporate, and governing members. There are about 10,000 individual and 500 corporate members, with governing members in approximately 80 countries. IWA Publishing was established as the wholly owned subsidiary of the International Water Association (IWA) in 1999 to provide information services on all aspects of water, wastewater and related environmental fields. The publishing programme includes ''The Source'' (the IWA membership magazine) and a broad range of peer reviewed journals (e.g. '' Water Science and Technology'', '' Hydrology Research'' and '' Water Research'') alongside books, research reports, manuals of best practice, and online services. IWA annually hosts more than 40 specialist conferences and workshops on various aspects of water management. Events organized by the IWA include the World Water Congress & Exhibition (WWCE) and the Water and Development Congress & Exhibition. There are four programs at the IWA: #Basins of the future(

water security Water security is the focused goal of water policy and water management. A society with a high level of water security makes the most of water's benefits for humans and ecosystems and limits the risk of destructive impacts associated with water. T ...

) #Cities of the future (

urban metabolism Urban metabolism is a model to facilitate the description and analysis of the flows of the materials and energy within cities, such as undertaken in a material flow analysis of a city. It provides researchers with a metaphorical framework to study ...

sustainable city The sustainable city, eco-city, or green city is a city designed with consideration for social, economic, environmental impact (commonly referred to as the triple bottom line), and resilient habitat for existing populations, without compromisi ...

) #Water and

sanitation Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation syste ...

services(

wastewater Wastewater is water generated after the use of freshwater, raw water, drinking water or saline water in a variety of deliberate applications or processes. Another definition of wastewater is "Used water from any combination of domestic, industrial ...

management) #Water policy and regulation

WWCE locations and dates

References

External links

The International Water Association (IWA) website
{{Authority control Environmental management-related professional associations Environmental organisations based in London International organisations based in London International water associations Members of the International Council for Science Organisations based in the City of Westminster