Walter Kling was born in Vienna, Austria on the 21st March 1958. He decided to study environmental engineering with a special focus on water-management and in 1986 enrolled at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna. For the diploma thesis he worked on research in the USA for a half year.

Immediately after completing his civil service he started to work at the Municipal Department 31 of the City of Vienna, better known as Vienna Waterworks. Working on different projects and tasks within Vienna Waterworks he had to pass through various departments within the organisation. In 2001 he was appointed as Deputy Managing Director of Vienna Waterworks, a position which he still stays on.

Following his interest in the international context of water-management, Walter Kling joined the work of the Austrian Waterworks Association and in 1993 he was delegated to represent Vienna within IWSA. Since the launch of IWA in 2000, Walter Kling supported the development of the new association in his region of East Europe by organising a number of events. Maintaining an excellent network of contacts he applied to organize the IWA-World Water Congress 2008 in Vienna. Starting from 2003, the Congress President Walter Kling served with great commitment to secure best circumstances for IWA, IAWD and the City of Vienna to run a successful conference. For the period 2006 to 2008 he joined the IWA Board of Directors as the incoming Congress President. He has joined IWA’s Strategic Council in 2015, and in 2022 he was appointed as its Chair.

An important background for this supporting work was his role as the General Secretary of IAWD (International Association of Waterworks in the Danube Catchment Area) which he started in 1993. Founded by an initiative of the Mayor of Vienna, IAWD is a long-term partner of IWA in various activities. Following the interest of Vienna to play an active role in the international water business, Walter Kling took the duty to represent water issues also within CEMR and the Water Committee of UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments).