The International Water Association (IWA) is delighted to launch the “Young Water Professionals Chapter of the Year” initiative to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions of the IWA Young Water Professionals (YWPs) Community and the YWP Country Chapters around the world.

This initiative aims to acknowledge the exceptional achievements and impactful contributions of the IWA YWP Chapters worldwide in advancing the mission and vision of the IWA within their regions.

The primary objective is to celebrate the exceptional initiatives of YWP Chapters and their role in shaping the future of the water sector globally. This recognition seeks to motivate and inspire YWP Chapters to strive for excellence and contribute significantly to the water community.

The Chapter of the Year will be selected following an evaluation process based on the comprehensive yearly reports submitted by the IWA YWP Chapters. These reports will be scrutinised for their quality, content, innovation, collaboration, impact, and alignment with IWA’s Strategic Goals. The evaluation will be led by the IWA YWP Steering Committee and its Chapter Coordination sub-committee, and supported by the IWA Secretariat.

The highlight of this initiative will be the honour ceremony, which will be integrated into the IWA Emerging Water Leaders (EWL) Forum. This ceremony offers a platform to showcase the outstanding work of the winning YWP Chapter through a presentation, aiming to inspire others and foster unity and pride within the YWP community.

Benefits and Recognition

• The winning YWP Chapter will receive a prestigious honour and presentation opportunity during the Emerging Water Leaders Forum, to highlight their dedication and accomplishments.
• The success of the winning Chapter will be showcased on IWA’s official platforms, including the website, social media, and newsletters.
• The honour is designed to motivate other YWP Chapters to excel and make a positive impact on the water sector.

Implementation

The announcement for annual reports and applications will be made at the beginning of each year in January. Chapters will have one month to submit their reports (until February). The inaugural edition was officially announced during the EWL Forum in Kigali in December 2023, and the first edition of this initiative will be celebrated during the next Emerging Water Leaders Forum in Toronto, in 2024. The details of the recognition initiative will be outlined with the call for reports and applications opening later in January 2024.

If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Isabela Espindola, IWA Membership Engagement Senior Officer.