World Water Congress 2015

In an increasingly complex world, water management is at a critical juncture at present. Even when it has to fulfil essential roles in promoting development, reducing poverty and conserving the environment at the national and sub-national levels, water is often scarce, contested, polluted, mismanaged, misgoverned and poorly allocated. A main handicap has been that water management has often been considered as an end in itself, and not as a means to an end; the end and the opportunity being to achieve overall development, economic prosperity, improvement of quality of life and environmental conservation. 

Both developed and developing countries are confronted with the urgent need to support the increasing water-related demands of growing populations and of the energy, industrial and agricultural sectors, as well as to respond to environmental concerns with sources of water that are scarce, over-exploited or too polluted for the intended uses. In spite of its relevance in terms of security, water is often not regarded as a key determinant for development, absent from many political agendas. This Congress seeks to explore Global Water as a resource for economic, social and environmental development. The Congress will be hosted in Edinburgh, capital of Scotland the Hydro Nation, where recent legislation puts water at the heart of the national development agenda. 

The IWRA has consistently promoted the generation, synthesis, application and dissemination of knowledge. The XVth World Water Congress and Exhibition, that will be hosted by the Scottish Government in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 25 to 29 May 2015 will continue this trend. 

The XVth World Water Congress will provide a platform for open discussions and debates among scientists, practitioners and policy makers from developed and developing countries and from different disciplines and sectors. In collaboration with Scottish Water, the IWRA Congress will promote in-depth discussions on the complexity of water policies, management, development and governance practices at the local, national, regional and global levels in a rapidly changing world as the fast evolving global landscape is driving decisions in the sectors ́ policies, performance and prospects.