Brisbane, 27 September 2016 – More than 5,000 water experts, industry professionals and political leaders from over 100 countries will come together at the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition in Brisbane, Australia from 09 – 14 October, 2016, to find and define new solutions to tackle the global water crisis.

Ger Bergkamp, Executive Director of the International Water Association, said, “Water security is a top global risk. Water scarcity has become a seasonal certainty in some parts of the world. In Brisbane the world’s leading water professionals will for the first time host a summit dedicated to drought action and delivering a sustainable water future.”

The Congress will review the latest scientific findings and share knowledge on leading edge water technologies, and propose effective regulatory systems to manage water and sanitation in a period of unprecedented water challenges. These include growing competition for water resources from industry, agriculture, nature and cities; all of which are impacted by climate change, population growth, changing consumption patterns and rapid urbanization.

The Congress is timely, coming shortly after governments around the world adopt the Sustainable Development Goals which will set the global development agenda until 2030. The Goals present an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ensure the sustainability of water for the future, and to address the biggest challenges facing the water sector:

• Billions of people still lack access to basic water supply and sanitation;
• Increasing water scarcity and the risk of droughts and floods affecting every corner of the globe with major economic impacts;
• Rising demand for water from agriculture, industries, cities and the environment is rapidly outpacing the water available;
• 80% of wastewater is untreated, threatening communities, businesses and the environment.

Water has a critical role to play in every major global debate currently underway – from climate change and the green economy; industrialisation and urbanization; human health and food production; economic development and regional stability. The Congress is hosted in Brisbane, Australia, a country with extensive experience of effectively combating water scarcity and drought.

ENDS

For more information on the Water Congress & Exhibition: www.worldwatercongress.org

Join the conversation on Twitter: #iwa2016Brisbane

To register for the World Water Congress & Exhibition 2016:

https://iwa-network.org/event/world-water-congress-exhibition-2016/register/

For further information or interviews, please contact:

Paul Bell
+31 6 4660 7771
paul.bell@iwahq.org

or

Peder Aarseth Krøgenes
+47 930 89 109
peder.krogenes@leidar.com