With huge investments being directed towards water and sanitation infrastructure, particularly in the Global South, IWA’s Water and Development Congress & Exhibition (WDCE) 2025 will once again deliver a comprehensive programme focused on the water-related needs of low- and middle-income countries.

To be held in Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand, on 8-12 December 2025, this edition will build on the success of the 2023 edition held in Kigali, Rwanda, providing the vital opportunity to share knowledge on innovations in science and practice, and highlight the opportunities for securing new and effective solutions in water and sanitation policy, technology and management.

Reflecting on the challenges of the region, the Governor of Thailand’s Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA), one of WDCE’s partner organisations, Suwara Thawitchasri said: “One of the most critical challenges we face is the security and quality of raw water sources. Climate change is creating increasingly unpredictable conditions – droughts, floods, and saltwater intrusion – that directly affect both the availability and quality of water for production.

“Another key issue is the growing demand for water driven by rapid urbanisation. As Bangkok continues to expand, we must consistently upgrade and expand our supply networks to ensure safe and reliable access to clean water for every community. These issues are vital because they directly impact public health, the resilience of the city, and the overall economic development of Thailand.”

Advancing innovation

With an overarching theme of ‘Water, sanitation, and innovation – pathways to progress and a resilient future’, this year’s WDCE will present solutions spanning water and sanitation services, the role of water in urban areas, the links between cities and basins, and the opportunities to achieve climate resilience. Featuring keynote addresses by leading figures in the sector, specially invited to share their experiences in shaping and delivering solutions, the programme will also provide a unique platform for water professionals to present and share their recent findings and insights.

High Level Summit

A landmark feature of WDCE 2025 will be the High Level Summit on ‘Water Security and Resilience’ to be held on 9 December. Convened in collaboration with the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and other strategic partners, this prestigious event aims to bring together the political and decision-making aspects of water and sanitation, complementing the technical and professional dialogues with strategic leadership perspectives, creating an unparalleled opportunity to align regional and global priorities on water security.

This invitation-only event will gather high-level leaders from governments, international organisations, and key institutions across South and Southeast Asia, ensuring a trusted space for regional voices to come together. The discussions will culminate in the release of the Bangkok Communiqué on Water Security and Resilience, a forward-looking statement reflecting shared priorities and actionable pathways toward a more secure and resilient water future.

Asari Daud, IWA Vice President, said: “The pressures on our water systems are intensifying, and the urgency of advancing water security and resilience has never been greater. In South and Southeast Asia, where rapid growth meets climate stress, the challenges are profound but so too are the opportunities. This summit provides a vital platform to unite regional leaders, breaking down silos, and building new models of cooperation. By aligning political will with technical expertise, and fostering South-South collaboration, we can accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals and shape a shared, resilient water future. The Bangkok Communiqué will stand as a statement of our common priorities and a roadmap for collective action.”

Utility and Regulation Forums

‘Driving innovation, shaping inclusive and sustainable water futures’ is the theme of the Utility Leaders Forum, which will be held on 10 December. Presenting a unique opportunity for those tasked with managing utilities to exchange views, network and access the insights of prominent water utility leaders in a setting that is by utility leaders for utility leaders, the Utility Leaders Forum is curated by an international committee of experienced utility practitioners and is structured to facilitate an open and interactive dialogue around some of the most critical issues facing utilities.

William Fernandes, deputy general manager, City of Toronto, and IWA Board member said: “In IWA we aim to be a global home for utilities, engaging them in enriching exchanges. We see utilities standing at the intersection of innovation and responsibility. This iteration of the Utility Leaders Forum is a unique opportunity to share global perspectives and learn from each other’s successes and failures in innovation. We hope that this forum will bring about meaningful change, ensuring water services are inclusive, sustainable and resilient for all communities.”

Also taking place on 10 December is the International Water Regulators Forum, this year marking its 10th anniversary and offering a unique opportunity to explore regulatory innovation, regional cooperation and inclusive governance.

Emerging Water Leaders Forum

The 2025 Emerging Water Leaders Forum, which will be held on 11 December, will focus on equipping the next generation to lead in the face of climate, governance, and capacity challenges, ensuring water systems are resilient, equitable, and future-ready. Strongly aligned with the resilience focus of this edition of WDCE, the forum will have an emphasis on personal and institutional growth, showcasing future-ready skills, inclusive leadership and big picture strategic thinking.

Chotiwat Jantarakasem, Chair of Thailand’s Young Water Professionals Chapter, said: “Every day, Young Water Professionals are driving change across the global water sector. This year, I’m thrilled to welcome young people to my home country. The IWA Emerging Water Leaders Forum will not only recognise the vital role of youth in the water sector, but also inspire us to imagine what we can achieve together for a better water future.”

Inclusive Urban Sanitation Forum

Also taking place on 11 December, the Inclusive Urban Sanitation (IUS) Forum will provide a platform to share lessons from three years of engagement in advancing the Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) approach, highlighting key findings from the recently completed CWIS Global Consultation, which gathered insights from more than 50 organisations worldwide. It will also serve as an opportunity for sector stakeholders to reflect on progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals in relation to sanitation and explore priorities beyond 2030.

Priscillah Oluoch, head of sanitation and programmes at the Malindi Water and Sewerage Company, Kenya, and a member of the IUS Task Force said: “Inclusive urban sanitation is about more than infrastructure, it is about people, power and possibility. Progress happens when every voice counts, when communities help shape solutions and when institutions break silos to work together. Citywide Inclusive Sanitation shows us that resilience grows when sewered and non-sewered systems coexist, when innovation is guided by equity, and when dignity and health are at the centre of design. In a changing climate and with fast-growing cities, the most powerful innovation is inclusion, because only by serving everyone, everywhere, can sanitation become the true foundation of sustainable and resilient futures.”

From Land to Sea

A further forum to be held on 11 December is ‘From Land to Sea: Tackling Pollutants, Protecting Health, and Restoring Ecosystems’. This forum will explore the sources of pollutants from land and sea, their impacts on human health and marine ecosystems, and identify practical solutions to reduce these threats and promote healthier, more resilient environments.

Advancing solutions for the region and beyond

“Climate change, urbanisation, and population growth are intensifying water challenges across Asia,” said Prof Sangam Shrestha, co-director of the Global Water & Sanitation Center at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. “We believe integrated solutions – digital innovations, nature-based approaches, and inclusive governance – are critical for resilience and equitable access. The IWA Water and Development Congress & Exhibition 2025 is a vital platform to exchange knowledge, showcase regional leadership, and build global partnerships that advance water security and accelerate progress towards SDG 6.”

Local relevance is highlighted by Wilas Chaloeysat, Governor of Thailand’s Metropolitan

Electricity Authority (MEA), a partner organisation of WDCE, who said: “For the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, efficient water management is a priority issue directly linked to both society and the environment. We place strong emphasis on responsible water use, minimising the impacts of wastewater and ensuring long-term water security. For MEA, comprehensive management is not only about meeting operational needs, but also about aligning with environmental standards and our commitment to social responsibility.”

Looking internationally, Dr Jennifer Balatedi Molwantwa, CEO of the Water Research

Commission (WRC), South Africa, a strategic partner of the WDCE, said: “Research, development, and innovation extend beyond local challenges. The WRC values collaboration at regional, continental, and global levels to exchange insights, share lessons and co-create scalable solutions for the water and sanitation sector. As a strategic partner, WRC is pleased to see sanitation featuring prominently on the development conference agenda. Addressing water and sanitation challenges remains central to achieving inclusive and sustainable development. The WRC looks forward to a successful Development Conference and the meaningful exchanges it will foster.”

With inspiring keynotes, forums, social activities and an extensive exhibition, this edition of IWA’s Water and Development Congress & Exhibition is set to deliver a world-class event dedicated to delivery of sustainable water and sanitation to those in pressing need.

As Prof Pai-Chi Li, President of co-organiser AIT, concluded: “We are proud that AIT is co-hosting the International Water Association’s Water and Development Congress, which reflects our role as a hub for innovation, dialogue and collaboration in Asia. Our vision is to build a sustainable and inclusive future, and this gathering presents an opportunity to connect global expertise with local action, transforming ideas into tangible solutions that enhance water and sanitation for communities across Southeast Asia and beyond.”

More information

www.waterdevelopmentcongress.org

ADB and water – a strategic imperative for Asia and the Pacific

Norio Saito, Senior Director, Water and Urban Development Sector Office, ADB

Asia and the Pacific are facing a convergence of threats: growing demand, resource scarcity, climate extremes, and growing inequality. In this context, water security isn’t just a development goal, it’s a strategic imperative for resilient, sustainable, and inclusive growth.

The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) forthcoming publication, Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO) 2025, will show that Asia-Pacific is making strides in water security. However, the stakes are rising. Our data finds that over the past 12 years, a significant number of  people have moved out of extreme water insecurity, thanks to countries prioritising their weakest areas, mainly in rural water supply and sanitation services. Yet, despite having basic access to water supply and sanitation, many remain vulnerable to poor water quality, unsafe sanitation, ecosystem degradation and climate shocks.

In addition, climate-related disasters are accelerating, outpacing readiness and reversing hard won development gains. Moreover, environmental water security has emerged as the region’s most urgent challenge, with ecosystems under siege from unchecked development and underinvestment in conservation efforts.

AWDO 2025 will make it clear that infrastructure alone is not enough. Without sustainable service delivery, maintenance, and healthy ecosystems, water systems cannot deliver lasting health or resilience. The path forward demands bold, integrated action where climate adaptation, ecosystem protection, and inclusive planning are no longer optional, but essential.

In response, ADB is scaling up efforts for water security through financing, technical assistance, knowledge, and partnerships. Non-revenue water reduction is critical to reduce wastage and improve service delivery inclusively and efficiently. We are helping our client countries strengthen water sector policies, institutions, and regulations to enhance sustainability and attract the private sector.  City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) is being mainstreamed to provide safely managed sanitation services inclusively. In addition, the Glaciers to Farms initiative – aimed at mobilising up to $3.5 billion from ADB and the Green Climate Fund – has been launched for glacier preservation and to enhance the resilience of communities, food systems, and social infrastructure in nine countries in Central and West Asia. We are also strengthening multilateral cooperation and governance to address systemic challenges.

As Principal Strategic Partners we hope that IWA’s Water and Development Congress & Exhibition 2025 (WDCE) will provide a vital platform for dialogue and  innovation, enabling ADB to strengthen partnerships with governments, financiers, the private sector, academia, and other relevant organisations.

AWDO 2025 will be officially launched at the WDCE opening plenary session on 8 December. We look forward to meeting you at the event to exchange ideas and forge partnerships to build a water-secure and climate-resilient future.

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SonoChem System 

The SonoChem System, developed by Gloucestershire-based Naicker Scientific, was awarded the grand prize of £150,000. This groundbreaking innovation uses microwaves and ultrasound to purify water extracted from the Moon’s frozen soil, a crucial step in supporting long-term lunar missions. 

Led by Lolan Naicker, Naicker Scientific’s SonoChem System employs ultrasonic technology to generate millions of microbubbles in melted lunar ice. These microbubbles create extreme temperatures and pressures that break down contaminants, producing safe, drinkable water for astronauts.  

“Imagine digging up the soil in your back garden in the middle of winter and trying to extract frozen water to drink,” said Lolan Naicker. “Now imagine doing it in an environment that is -200°C, a nearly perfect vacuum, under low gravity, and with very little electrical power. That’s what we will have to overcome on the Moon. If we can make the SonoChem System work there, we can make it work anywhere, whether that’s on Mars’ glaciers, or here on Earth in regions where accessing clean water is still a challenge.” 

FRANK 

First runner-up was FRANK (Filtered Regolith Aqua Neutralisation Kit), developed by RedSpace, which was awarded £100,000. 

FRANK uses a three-stage approach to deliver a continuous flow of drinking-grade water in a lunar environment that would first heat the lunar soil (regolith) sample in a sealed chamber to separate off volatile gases and leave a liquid of water, methanol and regolith fragments. The liquid is passed through a membrane to remove solid particles. The remaining liquid is distilled to separate the methanol from the water. 

AquaLunarPure 

AquaLunarPure, developed by a team from Queen Mary University of London, UK, won the second runner-up prize and was awarded £50,000. 

The team’s system transforms melted lunar ice into ‘supercritical water’, a state in which oxidation removes all contaminants in a single step. A reactor would first heat lunar ice to leave behind dust and rock particles, then heat it to more than 373°C at 220 bars of pressure to turn it into ‘supercritical water’ – not a solid, a liquid or a gas, but a fourth state that appears like a thick vapour in which oxidation will remove all the contaminants in one step. Direct heating and insulation contribute to the high energy efficiency of this reactor, compared with current state of the art technologies. 

A joint project between the UK Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, the Aqualunar Challenge aims to find innovative solutions to water purification on the Moon and here on Earth. UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said: “The Aqualunar Challenge was set up to overcome one of the most significant obstacles to humans surviving on the Moon or other planets – the availability of clean drinking water. By teaming up with our Canadian partners and harnessing the wealth of talent and creativity found across the UK, the challenge has uncovered a range of new ideas, including Naicker Scientific’s SonoChem system. Many of these ideas could not only fuel future space exploration, but also help improve lives and solve water shortages here on Earth – mitigating the impacts of climate change as we work towards a net zero future.” 

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‘Water Horizons 2025: Transforming Utilities for a Resilient, Net Zero Future’ is a new conference on the IWA calendar, taking place on 24-25 September in London, UK. Organised by IWA Conferences Ltd, this event will bring together global leaders in the water sector to explore the latest innovations and strategies for building resilient, sustainable water utilities, with a particular focus on opportunities for technology, digital transformation and regulatory compliance. 

“The technological opportunities for digital water are exploding, but there are still challenges in taking them from research and practice through to implementation,” says Janelcy Alferes, who is R&D project leader monitoring technology and digital water, WaterKlimaatHub – VITO, Belgium, and Chair of IWA’s Specialist Group on Instrumentation, Control and Automation (ICA). “This conference will be a great platform to discuss this.”  

Facilitating the digital transformation 

IWA is playing an important role in this, and Water Horizons 2025 is the latest part of the Association’s drive to help water practitioners grasp the very best that digital technologies can offer, to deliver sustainable, smart and efficient water systems.  

“IWA is already doing a lot to facilitate this,” says Alferes. “It really recognises the value of digital solutions and how it can support many aspects of water management.”  

She references IWA’s impressive Digital Programme, the three editions of IWA Digital Water Summits in Bilbao, Spain, and IWA’s Specialist Groups that are promoting the use of digital solutions. She says: “There is a lot of support for really pushing the idea of finding digital solutions to improve our water systems. And there is increasing interest in finding synergies between different Specialist Groups.”  

As Chair of IWA’s Specialist Group on ICA, Alferes is conscious of the potential for IWA’s membership to come together to develop opportunities and enhance the role and power of existing and emerging technologies. 

Advanced technologies 

Focusing on how water utilities can future-proof their services while advancing their climate and carbon goals, Water Horizons 2025 will open with the theme of ‘Technology opportunities, digital transformation and the regulatory horizon’. This first day of the two-day programme will explore how utilities are embracing advanced technologies – from AI and IoT to smart water networks and digital twins – to drive operational efficiency, compliance and system resilience.  

The second day will build on the theme of day one, focusing on ‘Building resilient water systems and advancing net zero solutions’, shifting the focus to implementation and how utilities can apply innovation to reduce emissions and build low-carbon, circular water systems. 

Alferes sees Water Horizons 2025 as an opportunity to look at the new technologies that are available and focus on how they can be used most effectively to improve water systems and the management of water resources in applications across drinking water, wastewater and industrial processes.  

“It’s about how to make use of the technology,” she explains. “I’ll cover different aspects, ranging from sensors to digital twins and support tools, and how to bring those tools forward to help support decision-making.” 

Stakeholder engagement 

Alferes also highlights the importance of collaboration between stakeholders, and the need to avoid looking at water in isolation. She says: “If we are to face the challenges that we have today and those that we will have tomorrow, we really need to consider water as a part of our ecosystems, and to consider the important links between water and energy, food and agriculture.  

“We can’t just consider water in a silo. We need to collaborate with the different stakeholders – with the water utilities, the technology providers, researchers, and the community and municipalities. It is important to take into account the different parts of the puzzle.” 

There are still gaps that need to be bridged to enable digital water to be as effective as it can be, she adds, and much of that is to do with taking research from theory into practice and facilitating cross-sector collaboration and learning.  

“We need efforts to be made in different directions, but I think we are going along the right track,” says Alferes. “My interest is in helping to bridge these gaps and enabling research and innovation to be applicable in practice.” 

Water Horizons 2025 provides the ideal opportunity, whether you are starting out on your net zero journey or looking to network and share experiences with others building resilience into their systems, to future-proof a water sector facing the challenges of climate change, urbanisation, and increasing population and consumption.  

The challenges may be great, but, if we work smarter, the rewards will be too.  

Join us at ‘Water Horizons 2025: Transforming Utilities for a Resilient, Net Zero Future’ to be part of this transformation. 

More information 

Visit www.waterhorizonsevents.org/home?event-key=wh2025 to find out more about ‘Water Horizons 2025: Transforming Utilities for a Resilient, Net Zero Future’. 

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Water is more than a basic necessity; it is the foundation of life, essential for public health, vital to economic development, and intrinsically tied to Indonesia’s national identity. From the verdant highlands of Papua to the dynamic urban sprawl of Jakarta, water connects the archipelago. It sustains agriculture, enables industry, nourishes families and balances ecosystems. Yet, in an era marked by climate volatility, urbanisation and social disparity, our approach to water management must evolve. It is imperative that we treat water not only as a service, but also as a strategic priority to be governed equitably and sustainably. 

This is the essence of Swasembada Air, Indonesia’s bold National Water Self-Sufficiency Initiative, launched under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto for the 2024–2029 period. It marks a fundamental shift. Water is no longer just about infrastructure; it is a national mission underpinning sovereignty, social justice and long-term resilience. 

Ambitious task ahead 

The challenge is significant. In 2023, only 22% of Indonesian households – approximately 16 million connections – had access to piped water. Meeting the 2029 national target of 40% coverage will require connecting an additional 13 million households and mobilising more than IDR 195tn ($12bn) in investment. Yet capital alone is not enough. Achieving water sovereignty demands a paradigm shift in governance, multi-stakeholder collaboration and shared national commitment. 

This is our opportunity to reimagine how we finance, manage and value water. Sovereignty over water is not an abstraction. It is a practical, achievable objective that can secure a fairer and more resilient Indonesia for generations to come. 

A new chapter in Indonesia’s water story 

Expanding water access requires more than pipelines and treatment plants – it requires a change in mindset. Water must be viewed not as a commodity, but as a human right and a long-term investment in public wellbeing, environmental stewardship and economic equity. 

Arief Wisnu Cahyono, Chair of Persatuan Perusahaan Air Minum Seluruh Indonesia (PERPAMSI – the Indonesian Water Supply Association) and Managing Director of Perumda Surya Sembada (Surabaya), emphasises: “To achieve water sovereignty, we must reduce our reliance on central and local budgets. Courage to innovate is essential.” 

Signs of innovation are already emerging. While the Indonesian water sector holds approximately IDR 40tn ($2.5bn) in assets, it remains overly dependent on state financing. With only IDR 6tn ($370m) in liabilities, there is substantial fiscal room for alternative financing models. 

Regional water utilities (BUMD Air Minum) are exploring new funding pathways, including: 

•  Public-private partnerships with no government guarantees 

•  Green and climate finance from entities such as the Green Climate Fund, World Bank and Asian Development Bank 

•  Blended finance schemes for remote and underdeveloped regions 

•  Performance-based contracts that reward efficiency, such as leak reduction or customer expansion 

•  Community-driven finance, involving cooperatives, corporate social responsibility initiatives and zakat funds 

These financing innovations do more than close funding gaps – they foster institutional maturity, improve governance, and enhance trust in service delivery. 

Surabaya and Bogor lead the way 

Cities such as Surabaya and Bogor are exemplars of strategic investment and operational excellence. Perumda Surya Sembada (Surabaya) has secured IDR 160bn ($9.8m) in funding, while Perumda Tirta Pakuan (Bogor) has mobilised IDR 170.4bn ($10.5m) – both through PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur, a state-owned infrastructure financing institution. 

These cases demonstrate that financially sound and well-managed utilities can attract capital and channel it into tangible service improvements. More importantly, they signal a shift from expansion to resilience – building systems that are not only broader, but also cleaner, smarter and more sustainable. 

Rino Indira Gusniawan, Secretary General of PERPAMSI and Managing Director of Perumda Tirta Pakuan, says: “Our ambition is not just about water access. It’s about building a system that endures.” The takeaway is clear: when utilities are technically capable, well governed and open to innovation, they become catalysts for national progress. 

Rebuilding water governance 

Realising water sovereignty requires structural reform. Many regional utilities continue to face significant challenges. Between 2019 and 2023, technical coverage declined from 30.66% to 26.77%, while administrative coverage dropped from 22.91% to 22.17%. Connection growth remains sluggish, averaging only 500,000 to 700,000 new households annually. 

Key issues include infrastructure leaks, fragmented mandates and limited service outreach. These challenges, however, are surmountable through targeted reforms. 

Dr Subekti, Executive Director of PERPAMSI, outlines a transformative agenda: 

•  Enactment of a Water Supply and Sanitation Law that delineates institutional roles and responsibilities 

•  Implementation of fiscal incentives, such as VAT exemptions for water investments 

•  Consolidation of smaller utilities to achieve economies of scale and operational strength 

•  Creation of a dedicated Ministry of Water Affairs to oversee national water governance 

•  Establishment of a National Water Regulator to uphold service standards, pricing fairness and consumer rights. 

Such reforms will lay the foundation for accountable, efficient and future-proofed water services nationwide. 

Driving collaborative progress 

At the heart of these reforms is PERPAMSI. With 519 members (445 public utilities and 74 private sector partners), we see it as Southeast Asia’s largest and most dynamic water network. 

PERPAMSI is more than a professional association – it is an engine for capacity building and systemic transformation. Key programmes include: 

•  Water Operation Partnership – a solidarity-based mentorship programme linking high-performing and developing utilities 

•  Field-based training for frontline water workers 

•  A technical clinic offering responsive advisory services 

•  Scholarships for emerging professionals in the sector 

•  Conferences and international exchanges that foster innovation and knowledge sharing 

Through these initiatives, even the smallest utilities gain access to national support and global insight. 

Building a water-secure nation  

Indonesia stands at a pivotal moment. One path sustains the status quo: fragmented systems and inequitable access. The other path – Swasembada Air – envisions universal access to clean, safe and reliable water. To walk this path, collaboration is essential. Public utilities, government bodies, the private sector, academia and media must align under the pentahelix model – a five-pronged approach to holistic development. 

PERPAMSI, supported by global platforms such as IWA, the Southeast Asia Water Utility Network, and UN-Habitat’s Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance, is leading this movement. 

Indonesia is not merely catching up – it is charting new ground. When commitment meets creativity, transformation follows. This is more than a policy. It is a national mission. One rooted in dignity, equity, and a promise: that water will no longer be a privilege, but a universal right. Because water is not just a utility – it is life, sovereignty and our collective future. 

The authors: Agus Sunara is Expert Advisor, Ahmad Zazili is Head of Magazine and Website, and Nur Azizah is Secretary of PERPAMSI 

Indonesia joins IWA as a Governing Member 

Strengthening IWA’s international reach, Indonesia has joined the Association as a Governing Member (GM).  

At the heart of IWA’s efforts to advance a vision of a water wise world, GMs are vital to IWA’s work at national and regional level. GMs provide a country focus, convening people locally to share best practice and explore new ways of innovating water solutions, nurturing and growing the IWA network, and sharing the latest science, technology and best practice from across the sector.  

IWA’s 70 GMs reflect the diversity of the water sector at country level, mirroring the breadth and strength of IWA’s global network. They strengthen the water industry by bridging divides between sectors and disciplines to create real change in water policy, practice and management on the ground. 

Led by committees of representatives from across the water sector, GMs, importantly, convene for the IWA Governing Assembly and are supported in their work by access to the Connect Plus platform, facilitating interaction among individual members and creating opportunities to generate ideas and share best practice. 

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WaterNSW is a state-owned corporation in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, responsible for capturing, storing and delivering two-thirds of the bulk water used in NSW, including managing Greater Sydney’s bulk water supply and drinking water catchments. 

WaterNSW partnered with the University of Technology Sydney Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS-ISF) to help protect drinking water catchments for future generations, particularly in the face of megatrends such as digital transformation, climate change and population growth. 

Through collaborative workshops, UTS-ISF’s expert knowledge across a range of fields (including water, energy, smart cities and climate change) and WaterNSW’s on-ground experience were combined within six detailed scenarios that explore plausible futures for Greater Sydney’s water catchments.  

This multidisciplinary project demonstrates effective integration of creative and critical thinking to expand the scope of traditional modelling, which has proven essential for approaching complex issues such as water security. These scenarios are aiding planning and decision-making today to prepare for an uncertain future and show how water authorities can take steps to prepare for both challenging and positive aspects of the future. 

Explaining the research 

Development of a series of future scenarios for Greater Sydney’s drinking water catchments was achieved through a three-phase project approach. 

The first phase involved a literature review and horizon scan undertaken by UTS-ISF to identify megatrends and drivers on global and local scales that could impact Greater Sydney’s water catchment systems.  

In the second phase, WaterNSW experts across a range of interests participated in two collaborative workshops facilitated by UTS-ISF to first envision possible futures and then help develop future scenarios. 

The methodology combined the qualitative outputs from the stakeholder workshops with the quantitative spatial modelling of land use and land cover (LULC) to produce future scenarios defined by both narratives and LULC maps of the future in 2040 and 2060. This also included the baseline scenario considered in 2019 and projected to 2040 and 2060. This enabled a comparison of each scenario to the expected future. Thirty years of historical catchment LULC transitions were modelled and projected forward from 2019 to give future LULC maps in 2040 and 2060. The anticipated effects of climate change as forecast for NSW in Australian Regional Climate Modelling were built into this baseline scenario. 

After constructing the baseline spatial model and adjusting this to represent future scenarios, the scenarios were presented as a collation of their respective narrative, modelling approach and spatial outputs. These outputs are GIS maps that can be used in water quality modelling. The final scenarios encompass a range of plausible outcomes for Greater Sydney’s water catchment futures, characterised by differing catchment, carbon, and treatment results. 

Scenarios 

Three of the six scenarios developed are summarised here. 

Scenario 1: Envisages increased investment in catchment management as a key strategy for providing safe drinking water to Greater Sydney. This is achieved through collaboration between the State Government, WaterNSW, Aboriginal Traditional Owners, local communities and industries. A long-term commitment to the value of catchment management is a key driver of this scenario. The resulting improvements in water quality and catchment health will positively influence liveability, resilience, ecology, and economic opportunities in catchment areas. Population growth remains at the baseline rate, but will become more condensed in catchment areas, resulting in decreased disturbance to land and increased reforestation. 

This scenario emphasises the importance of community engagement and the role of Traditional Owners in managing and protecting water resources. By fostering collaboration and shared responsibility, this scenario aims to create a resilient and sustainable water catchment system that can adapt to future challenges. 

Scenario 2: Is characterised by the implementation of green, blue and grey features in urban and agricultural development. Shifting community demands for integrated green spaces, water and localised industries increase pressure on catchment management. Government engagement in response to the increased cost of living in Sydney results in the development of regional towns into new urban centres, driven by a new high-speed rail network. The urban footprint in Scenario 2 is expected to remain consistent with baseline rates. However, urban densification is directed towards rural centres, as opposed to continued rapid expansion in south-western Sydney. This will coincide with continued flexible work-from-home schedules. This projection is already being realised, with the Australian Government High Speed Rail Authority having announced phase one of the east coast high-speed rail network (Australian Government, 2024). 

This scenario highlights the importance of integrating green infrastructure into urban planning to enhance resilience and sustainability. More sophisticated water management is critical to supporting liveability in these areas and downstream drinking water quality supplied to Greater Sydney. Green infrastructure, such as parks, green roofs and urban forests, can help mitigate the impact of climate change, improve air and water quality, and provide recreational spaces for communities.  

Scenario 3: Envisions WaterNSW as a manager of a carbon-positive catchment. This is facilitated by government incentives that support Australia achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

Renewable energy and biodiversity restoration processes enable improved carbon capture and water quality, as well as providing carbon offsets within the catchment area. Reforms to land management are supported by the public as both economic and environmental profit is acquired. This scenario creates new job opportunities in carbon and renewables sectors, leading to a slight increase in population density in rural centres. This, however, does not increase the urban footprint as a result of the carbon-positive initiatives implemented. 

Achieving a carbon-positive catchment involves a combination of strategies, including reforestation, wetland restoration and the adoption of renewable energy technologies. These initiatives not only help mitigate climate change, but also enhance the resilience of water catchments by improving water quality and biodiversity. Public support and participation are crucial in this scenario, as community involvement in conservation and sustainability efforts can drive positive change and ensure the long-term success of these initiatives. 

How the research is being used 

While no future scenario can be expected to unfold exactly as described, they are useful tools for considering previously unexperienced conditions and testing potential solutions. WaterNSW is already acting on Scenario 3, which addresses a carbon-positive catchment. They are investigating ways to generate revenue from carbon sequestration, biodiversity regeneration, and supporting the low-carbon transition through renewable energy generation, transmission and storage projects. 

Across the scenarios, the outputs produced are aiding planning and decision-making by water authorities today to protect drinking water for future generations. The scenarios provide a framework for exploring different adaptation pathways and identifying potential risks and opportunities for core business priorities. By considering a range of plausible futures, water authorities can develop more robust and resilient strategies that are better equipped to handle uncertainty and change. 

The collaborative and multidisciplinary approach used in this project demonstrates the value of integrating diverse perspectives and expertise in resilience planning. By involving stakeholders with various perspectives and incorporating qualitative and quantitative methods, the project has produced comprehensive and well-rounded scenarios that address the complexity of water catchment management. This approach can serve as a valuable model for other regions facing similar challenges and can help inform future resilience planning efforts. 

The authors: Dr Simon Fane is Research Director and Associate Professor at UTS-ISF;  

Dr Ann-Marie Rohlfs is Water Science Lead, WaterNSW; and Ebony Heslop is Research Principal at UTS-ISF

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The objective of the IWA Resource Recovery Cluster Best Practice Award is to raise awareness of existing solutions to effectively recover resources from water and wastewater, providing an alternative and economical source of resources and reducing water stress through a more circular approach. The process of recovery within the water cycle can yield valuable resources, including reclaimed water, energy, and precious nutrients and metals.  

The Cluster received a high number of applications for its latest edition, and the award was presented at the 6th IWA International Resource Recovery Conference in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, on 19-23 May. The selected winning paper, ‘Resource Recovery from Wastewater: Onsite Reuse Through Water-Efficient Sanitation Systems (WESS) in Schools and Rural Communities,’ was presented by the Water Research Commission (WRC), South Africa. 

Sustainable sanitation technologies 

WRC’s South African Sanitation Technology Enterprise Programme (SASTEP) is accelerating the adoption of Water-Efficient Sanitation Systems (WESS) and Non-Sewered Sanitation (NSS) technologies, with many of them originating from the Re-invent the Toilet Challenge (RTTC) initiative by the Gates Foundation.  

These systems reduce water consumption by treating and reusing wastewater onsite. Implemented in schools, informal settlements, and communities, these technologies not only address water scarcity but also recover nutrients, produce energy, and create new value streams from human waste.  

Unlike traditional sewered sanitation, WESS (NSS) operates independently of centralised sewer networks and municipal wastewater treatment plants. WESS redefines sanitation from a centralised infrastructure and treatment model to a distributed infrastructure model and a centralised service model. This should be seen as a potential precursor stage to full household reinvented toilet (RT) systems (i.e. standalone full treatment systems at household level).  

WESS has important components determining the technologies or systems used, the service models applied, and the eventual reuse or use of the products recovered. 

Systems demonstrated under the SASTEP platform are: 

• Clearwater WESS/NSS/RT – A biological-membrane full recycle system producing effluent water that is reused for flushing. 

• NEWgenerator WESS/NSS/RT – A biological-electro-chemical full or partial recycle system producing effluent water reused for flushing, nutrient rich water for irrigation, and biogas (not captured due to the small quantities produced). 

• Aquonic WESS/NSS/RT – A biological-biofilm full or partial recycle system producing effluent water for reuse for flushing and irrigation in some instances.  

• Dewdrop WESS/NSS/RT – A nature-based biological treatment system producing effluent water that is reused for flushing. 

• In addition, a series of low-flush or water-efficient toilet pedestals were demonstrated.  

Centralised service models recommended and tested for local employment scenarios include: 

• The social franchising model, which uses a skilled technical service provider to build and standardise skills in local communities and allow the franchisor to service technologies in communities. 

• The user paid model, which is a business-to-customer model that provides a sanitation facility with a safe mechanism for removal of sludge for a monthly fee (with capital and operating expenditure built into the monthly payments), which treats sludge centrally.  

• The performance-based contract with aggregated and centralised services using a qualified service provider for all of the distributed technologies. 

The multiple use services model and community-led sanitation models, which can be used but require full ownership and pre-requisite skills from the community itself. 

Potential for recovered resources 

The products that it is possible to derive from this technology include: 

• Blackwater treated to a standard fit for recycling as flush water.  

• Blackwater treated to a standard fit for irrigation, with effluent used as liquid fertiliser. 

• Yellow water for use as liquid fertiliser or centralised for treatment in a struvite reactor. 

• Sludge treated for use as soil conditioner. 

• Blackwater treated with a process that generates biogas. 

Facilitating commercialisation 

The success of WESS (NSS) in South Africa is driven by a collaborative effort involving government agencies, development banks, private sector partners, researchers, funders, and communities. WRC plays a key role, aligning stakeholders towards a common country level vision. And SASTEP plays a key role in facilitating the localisation and commercialisation of the technologies, working with commercial partners. In addition, the National Department of Basic Education (DBE) and local municipalities deploy the technologies in schools and in the community. 

Private sector partners are responsible for manufacturing, installing and operating these systems, contributing to local job creation. And the Department of Water and Sanitation supports WESS and NSS by integrating these systems into policies, norms and standards. Similarly, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has aligned ISO 30500 with SANS 30500, enabling certification of WESS and NSS under this standard.  

Reaching those underserved 

The modular, water-efficient, scalable design allows for deployment in water-scarce, underserved areas. By shifting from a disposal-based approach to a resource recovery model, these innovations present a sustainable, cost-effective solution that aligns with circular economy principles, making sanitation more resilient and adaptable to climate challenges. User acceptance surveys indicate high satisfaction with both WESS and NSS. In addition, schools that have hosted demonstrations of the improved sanitation services have noted a reduction in absenteeism.  

School rollout 

SASTEP has successfully demonstrated WESS and NSS technologies in 12 schools and three communities, leading to further adoption by the DBE, which has financed their implementation in 48 additional schools. Furthermore, the Water Partnerships Office, hosted at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), will support the preparation of bankable WESS/NSS projects for municipalities and the DBE, enabling wider rollout and long-term sustainability under a country-wide steering group.  

Commenting on the winning initiative, co-Chair of the Cluster, Prof. Ana Soares, said: “We highly appreciate the truly holistic approach presented by the WRC team. It’s a great example of the application of an innovative concept.” 

More information 

www.iwa-network.org/iwa-specialist-groups

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As the global water community prepares to convene in Bangkok, Thailand, on 8-12 December, for IWA’s 2025 Water and Development Congress & Exhibition (WDCE), anticipation is building for what promises to be another landmark event. Organised in collaboration with the Asian Institute of Technology, this year’s Congress will again put the spotlight on the water and sanitation challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries while showcasing the innovation and solutions driving progress. 

Guided by the overarching theme of ‘Water, Sanitation and Innovation – Pathways to Progress and a Resilient Future’, the 2025 edition will feature a robust, multidisciplinary programme. Topics will span critical areas such as improving water and sanitation services, the strategic role of water in urban resilience, strengthening city-basin connections, and accelerating climate adaptation and mitigation through water-related interventions. 

Held towards the close of the year, the timing of the Congress offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on collective progress during 2025, celebrate achievements, and reassess solutions and strategic priorities as we look ahead to the 2030 deadline of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It will also be fertile ground for encountering cutting-edge research, emerging technologies and practical approaches tailored to context-specific challenges. 

An extensive programme 

The response to the ‘Call for Submissions’ has been unprecedented. Compared with the previous edition in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2023, overall submission volumes have surged – more than doubling. This outstanding increase signals a growing global momentum around the Congress and the critical role it plays in shaping water and development discourse. With such a high number of submissions, the Bangkok edition is poised to be the most dynamic and impactful yet. 

Access to technical insights  

Submissions of abstracts for technical presentations rose by almost 140% for Bangkok, reaching 734 this time around. This significant surge underscores the growing global engagement and the expanding knowledge base around water and sanitation challenges in low- and middle-income contexts. 

As with the previous edition in Kigali, submissions provide the basis for comprehensive coverage of the core programme themes. ‘Advancing wastewater treatment and sanitation services: Sustainable solutions for all’ and ‘Smart water management, highlighting the integration of technology and data into water systems’ received particularly high submissions, as did ‘Ensuring safe drinking water’, which remains central to public health and the SDGs. 

The other two themes – ‘Enhancing utility management and operations for sustainable growth’ and ‘Strengthening governance and financial systems for long-term development’ – also attracted strong submissions. 

The 2025 programme is structured around 18  

cross-cutting topics distributed across these five themes. Authors were also asked to indicate up to three topics most relevant to their abstract, ranked by priority. 

Our analysis of the first-choice topics gives an insight into the development areas in which authors are currently most keen to share insight. New technologies for water treatment and supply was the most frequently selected topic, reflecting ongoing innovation in this domain, closely followed by data-driven decision-making in water management, and resource recovery and reuse in water and sanitation. 

Other topics that featured strongly included  

low-cost and decentralised water and sanitation solutions, and water quality monitoring and early warning systems. 

This all suggests a dynamic and technologically forward-looking research and practice agenda among water professionals, with strong interest in practical, scalable and resilient solutions. Alongside this, the diversity and volume of submissions also reflect a maturing global dialogue around integrated and sustainable water resource management. 

An evolving focus for workshops 

WDCE 2025 will again feature a strong workshop programme, built around the more than 100 proposals received. While the subject focus of the workshop submissions in 2023 very closely aligned with the pattern of abstract submissions, this time around we have seen a stronger representation in the workshop proposal under the theme ‘Strengthening governance and financial systems for long-term development’. This underlines the importance of the enabling role of governance and finance in delivering sustainable water and sanitation outcomes. There is an enduring priority for technical solutions, but effective governance, sound financing and institutional resilience are vital pathways to progress in the water and sanitation sector. 

As with the abstract submissions, workshop proposals were categorised under 18 cross-cutting topics. 

Topping the categories indicated was ‘Partnerships and multi-stakeholder collaboration in water management’, selected in 20% of workshop proposals. This strong interest highlights the increasing value placed on integrative, cross-sectoral approaches to water governance and implementation, recognising that systemic challenges demand collaborative solutions. 

The topics ‘Innovations in sanitation for underserved communities’ and ‘Data-driven decision-making in water management’ also ranked highly, closely followed by ‘Climate-resilient water and sanitation systems’ and ‘Nature-based solutions for integrated water supply, sanitation and stormwater management’ – a signal of increasing alignment with ecological design principles. 

Looking across the workshop proposals, the prominence of collaboration, innovation and resilience-related topics points to a sector actively aligning itself with the complex demands of sustainable development and climate adaptation. 

A diverse array of contributions 

The submissions for technical presentations and workshops have been received from those working across the sector, including from the academic community and the professional sphere, especially engineers and technical experts, as well as senior decision-makers and institutional leaders. 

This profile reflects a well-balanced blend of academic insight, technical expertise and institutional leadership that should ensure the Congress fosters a dynamic and evidence-informed environment for advancing water and sanitation solutions in low- and middle-income countries. The strong showing from early-career academics also suggests a promising future pipeline of innovators and thought leaders in the sector. 

Given the high level of interest in the Congress, competition for inclusion in the programme is intense. In Bangkok, 28% of abstracts submitted and 29% of workshop proposals are set to find a space on the main oral and workshop technical programme. 

At the same time, we recognise the critical importance of sharing as much of the valuable research and practical insights proposed as possible. With this in mind, to promote inclusivity and broaden dissemination opportunities, we have designed the programme to accommodate a diversity of contributions. Each technical session will feature two poster pitches – concise, three-minute presentations by authors highlighting the essence of their posters. In addition, an engaging and well-curated poster area will provide authors with a valuable platform to visually present their work and engage directly with delegates in meaningful dialogue. 

The Congress programme  

The Congress will officially kick off on the afternoon of Monday 8 December with an inspiring Opening Ceremony, setting the stage for an exciting week ahead. This will be followed by the grand opening of the International Exhibition, where more than 100 global exhibitors will showcase cutting-edge innovations and solutions. Designed as the central hub for networking and exchange, the exhibition floor will then host the Welcome Reception – an ideal setting for delegates to connect in a lively and informal atmosphere. 

From Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 December, the heart of the event unfolds with a rich and dynamic technical programme. Each morning and evening will feature thought-provoking keynote addresses from leading voices in water and sanitation, followed by topical panels that frame the issues of the day. Across 10 parallel streams, over 110 sessions – including technical sessions, hands-on workshops and thematic forums – will offer diverse insights and opportunities for dialogue. 

Complementing the main programme, technical tours will run throughout the week and culminate on Saturday 13 December, offering participants a first-hand look at innovative practices in the field. A highlight of the social calendar, the Gala Dinner will take place on the evening of Thursday 11 December, bringing the community together in celebration. The Congress will officially conclude with a Closing Ceremony on Friday afternoon, marking the end of a week of shared knowledge, collaboration and inspiration. The event promises to be an amazing opportunity to share insights and build your network. We look forward to welcoming you in Bangkok.  

The author: 

Kizito Masinde is IWA’s Director of Global Events and Awards 

More information 

To find out more about the Water and Development Congress and Exhibition, visit: www.waterdevelopmentcongress.org 

2025 Congress technical programme in figures 

Total submissions: 836 

Submission growth: +101% 

Abstract submissions: 734 

Workshop submissions: 102 

Accepted abstracts for oral presentation: 208 

Accepted workshops: 30 

Countries represented in submissions: 72 

Outstanding opportunities to sponsor and exhibit 

The international trade Exhibition in Bangkok will provide an outstanding opportunity to showcase your company or organisation to an influential global audience. 

With more than 100 exhibitors expected, sponsorship provides a way to further elevate your presence through: 

•  Branding of your company 

•  Targeted promotion by IWA to its global network 

•  Business forums to present to a high-level audience 

•  International media exposure and publicity 

•  Participation in structured networking events. 

See website for Exhibition and Sponsor details 

A global event with regional relevance 

WDCE 2025 is being co-organised with the Asian Institute of Technology, underpinning the regional relevance of the event. 

Professor Thammarat Koottatep, Co-Director of the Global Water & Sanitation Centre at AIT, says: “The Development Congress represents a vital platform for advancing solutions to global water challenges, fostering innovation and strengthening regional collaboration focused on the Global South. For Southeast Asia, it offers an unparalleled opportunity to address pressing water issues, sanitation challenges, build resilience, and drive sustainable development in our communities. I am confident that the event will leave a lasting impact by bringing together diverse expertise and actionable ideas.” 

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In recent years, the generation of large amounts of sludge has posed substantial environmental challenges. Enhancing research, applying innovative technologies for sludge treatment and disposal, and promoting the recovery and utilisation of sludge resources have become critical global tasks. Excess sludge is rich in biodegradable substances, such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which can be used to produce biogas and generate electricity. 

Sustainable material production 

Biobased, biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymers can replace petroleum-based materials in packaging applications and the chemical industry. However, industrial-scale PHA production primarily relies on pure culture methods that require refined feedstock and sterile cultivation conditions. These conditions entail high-energy demands that substantially increase production costs. 

Producing PHAs from sludge using mixed microbial cultures (MMCs), such as activated sludge, is a promising option for reducing the cost of both PHA polymers and sludge treatment. This approach is advantageous because it uses inexpensive (or even free) substrates, employs simple, non-sterilisable reactors, and requires less process control. Over the past decade, techniques for producing biodegradable PHAs with open MMCs, using waste and residual carbon sources as substrates, have been extensively studied. 

Exploring the opportunities 

In light of these benefits, the Beijing Drainage Group Co., Ltd (BDG) is exploring the potential of using MMCs to produce PHAs from municipal sludge rich in organic compounds. The treatment scheme for producing PHAs from municipal sludge is a three-step process: (1) sludge hydrolytic acidification, which promotes the conversion of organic compounds in sludge to VFAs using thermally hydrolysed sludge as a substrate; (2) a microbial enrichment unit with enhanced capacity for producing PHAs under selective conditions; (3) maximisation of PHA content in biomass through an accumulation step, where the enriched biomass is fed with VFAs in a fed-batch mode under unbalanced growth conditions. The crude PHA product can be recovered from a PHA-rich mixed culture biomass in the subsequent process. 

For municipal sludge recycling, BDG has established a pilot platform for producing PHAs using MMCs, which includes a 500-litre sludge acidification reactor, a 200-litre microbial enrichment reactor, and a 50-litre PHA accumulation reactor. 

Based on the pilot platform for PHA production from sludge, BDG conducted studies on sludge hydrolysis acidification, enrichment of MMCs with enhanced PHA-producing capacity, and PHA accumulation and extraction, and successfully prepared crude PHA products.  

Currently, the degradable organic matter conversion rate in the sludge hydrolysis acidification unit exceeds 80%, and MMCs with superior PHA-producing capacity have been successfully domesticated. A pilot-scale investigation using BDG’s facility has demonstrated that biomass with a PHA content of up to 0.42 gPHA/gVSS can be produced.  

Generally, PHA accumulation potential above 0.40 gPHA/gVSS has been identified as a threshold for achieving a promising business case for integrating PHA production into the material flows of wastewater treatment plants.  

The extracted crude product has been used to prepare biodegradable plastic film in the laboratory. This has been used to produce plastic bookmarks through an injection molding process. 

Findings 

Using MMCs to produce PHAs enables the utilisation of wastewater and sludge, transforming traditional wastewater treatment plants into resource recovery facilities. This process effectively converts waste – rich in organic matter and nutrients – into valuable substrates for producing high-quality recycled carbon resources. 

The authors: Yun He is an engineer at the R&D Centre of the Beijing Drainage Group (BDG) Co., Ltd., China; Rongbing Zhang is general manager of BDG; Kuixiao Li is deputy director of the R&D Centre at BDG; and Jiawei Wang is director of the R&D Centre at BDG. 

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In a world facing intensifying climate extremes, equitable and adaptive water solutions have become more urgent than ever. Rain for Resilience (R4R) is a global initiative designed to accelerate community-led rainwater innovations that enhance resilience, protect public health, and bridge the gap between local knowledge and global action. 

Born from decades of field-based experience in rainwater harvesting, R4R brings together three proven models under one integrated framework: 

• Community-Based Rainwater for Drinking systems for health protection and decentralised water access in schools, clinics and remote communities. 
• The Rain School Initiative, which empowers youth through hands-on, climate-conscious education.
• The Mountain Rehydration Movement, which restores soil moisture in upland forests through micro-scale rainwater traps, offering a natural line of defence against drought and wildfires. 

These innovations have been tested and scaled in diverse settings – from Cambodian classrooms to earthquake-affected villages in Myanmar – but they all share a common approach: simplicity, local ownership, and the transformative power of rain. 

Sustainable solutions 

R4R aligns with the UN’s call for nature-based and inclusive solutions to climate and water challenges. The R4R concept will be further elevated through two international platforms: the IWA Rainwater Harvesting and Management Conference in Phnom Phen, Cambodia, on 1-6 September 2026, and the UN 2026 Water Conference, co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Senegal, and convened in the UAE on 2-4 December 2026. These venues offer timely opportunities to assemble practitioners, researchers and policymakers around community-based rainwater resilience. 

To support this engagement, a ‘Rain for Resilience Declaration’ is being drafted, calling on governments and institutions to: recognise rainwater as a viable source of safe drinking water; invest in local rainwater infrastructure for climate adaptation; integrate rainwater literacy into formal education systems; share knowledge and technologies across borders through open partnerships; and designate a UN Rainwater Day to elevate rainwater harvesting as a global climate solution.  

This declaration will serve not only as a call to action, but also as a collaborative roadmap for scaling up localised solutions in a global context. 

The R4R initiative also benefits from the growing recognition of its founding partners. Most recently, Rain for All, one of the organisations behind R4R, contributed a key message to world leaders in the official 2026 UN Water Conference stakeholder consultation report – highlighting rainwater harvesting as a community-driven solution for water resilience and climate adaptation. 

Together, these models challenge conventional boundaries of water management – reaching beyond pipes and pumps to embrace education, emergency response, and even ecosystem-based resilience in vulnerable mountain landscapes. 

Every drop is local, but turning rain into resilience takes global action. By lifting the simple act of harvesting rain – from rooftops to ridgelines – R4R aims to reframe water security as a shared responsibility rooted in community agency and environmental care. 

As the climate crisis deepens, let us remember – resilience is not built by leaders alone, but in the hands of those who catch the first drop. 

The author: Mooyoung Han is Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Seoul National University, and Director of Rain for All (UN ECOSOC-Accredited NGO) and Chair, IWA Rainwater Harvesting and Management Specialist Group 

Sky’s mercy – A community rainwater system for disaster recovery in Myanmar

When a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on 28 March 2025, more than 17 million people across 13 states and regions were left vulnerable – not just to structural damage, but to the sudden collapse of water systems. Centralised infrastructure failed, bottled water became scarce, and public health risks mounted.  

From this urgency the Mobile Rainwater for Drinking (RFD) system emerged – a decentralised, portable rainwater harvesting solution designed for post-disaster contexts. The system connects five tanks in series, each facilitating sedimentation and natural purification, eliminating the need for electricity or chemicals. A collapsible catchment surface can be quickly assembled and disassembled, allowing even non-technical community members – and women, in particular – to operate it independently.  

In May 2025, a pilot was conducted in an earthquake-affected village in Myanmar. With just 32 mm of rainfall, the Mobile RFD collected more than 500 litres of usable water. Local women managed the setup and water handling after brief instruction, highlighting the system’s simplicity and potential for community ownership.  

The innovation was formally presented at the Mekong-Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum on 14 May, in Hanoi, Vietnam, where it drew interest from policymakers and practitioners from Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and beyond. A senior official from Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs received briefing materials and expressed support for pilot expansion. The system also gained visibility among attendees from Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Global Green Growth Institute, Indonesia, and the United Nations Development Programme.  

More than a technical fix, Mobile RFD offers a platform for gender inclusion, youth engagement, and low-cost resilience. It serves as a teaching tool in Rain School programmes, where students learn to monitor water quality, record rainfall and engage with climate science. It aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – from clean water (SDG 6) and good health (SDG 3) to gender equality (SDG 5) and climate adaptation (SDG 13).  

The system’s structure is simple: five tanks, basic piping, a foldable rooftop, and no need for power. Yet its impact is complex and profound – a locally managed, scalable, nature-based solution to an escalating global challenge.  

At a time when climate disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, Mobile RFD reminds us that resilience can come from above. In Myanmar, the sky’s mercy is being stored, purified and shared – one drop, one tank, and one community at a time. 

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For more than a century, our sector’s purpose around dealing with wastewater has been clear: protect health and the environment by treating and discharging safely. That mission remains vital – but it also limits our imagination. 

What if wastewater is not primarily something to be neutralised, but is a resource to be mined? Framed this way, treatment becomes the by-product, and the real goal is recovery – of water, energy, carbon and critical materials. 

And once that frame shifts, everything else shifts with it: 

•  What we build – the treatment trains and technologies we choose 

•  How we fund – the business models and partnerships we design 

•  What success looks like – no longer measured by compliance alone, but by its contribution to resilience, resource security, and climate action. 

Framed like this, wastewater is no longer about end-of-pipe infrastructure. It becomes the very starting point of a new industrial ecosystem – platforms for production, the factories and mines of the circular economy.  

My sense of this opportunity is my big takeaway from having had the privilege of attending IWA’s Resource Recovery Cluster Conference in May. Organised by Wetsus in collaboration with Delft University of Technology and Wageningen University & Research in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, the event was brimming with ideas, examples and debate. It set out new thinking and shared latest experiences spanning the resource recovery landscape. And, for me, it revealed a powerful theme that could reshape the way we think about wastewater: a shift from bulk, low-value outputs like biogas and biosolids to targeted, high-value resources. 

Learning from early resource recovery 

The sector’s first steps into resource recovery were logical ones. Given the vast and dilute nature of municipal wastewater, it made sense to pursue early recovery pathways that produced bulk resources such as biogas and biosolids, alongside targeted products like struvite. These approaches have delivered real benefits: biogas remains central to many utilities’ energy neutrality strategies, and struvite recovery has reduced maintenance issues by preventing scaling and improving sludge handling. 

Yet while these pathways have been important, they also reveal their limits. Margins are often razor-thin, revenues exposed to volatile energy and fertiliser markets, and adoption justified more by operational convenience than by market demand. In practice, they have delivered real operational value but only modest economic returns. 

In fact, market prices for struvite have fallen well below early 2010 levels and now typically barely offset the cost of reagents, labour and freight. Similarly, while biogas remains central to energy neutrality goals, its financial viability is eroding. In grids with high renewable penetration, periods of zero or even negative electricity prices are becoming common – undermining the value of exported biogas-derived power. 

Take-up of other opportunities based on similar thinking has been somewhat limited. For example, capture of biogenic carbon dioxide from biogas upgrading is in place at fewer than 30 sites globally; effluent heat – a stable, low-grade thermal resource – at only a few hundred locations; production of ammonium sulphate in fewer than five utilities; and cellulose and fibres from screenings, a recoverable feedstock for paper or construction materials, remain largely unexploited. 

Advancing treatment technology options 

This is why so much attention at the Resource Recovery Conference focused on new technological pathways that might overcome these constraints.  

We see advanced thermal and chemical processes transforming waste into strategic materials. The Ash2Phos plant in Schkopau, Germany, for example, processes 30,000 tonnes of sewage sludge ash annually to produce high-purity phosphorus – a material now recognised in the EU Critical Raw Materials Act – while also recovering valuable co-products such as ferric chloride and construction-grade sand. 

Other pathways are also maturing, through deployment of electrochemical processes, advanced separation, and biologically tuned production platforms. Vivianite, a naturally forming iron-phosphate mineral, can now be selectively recovered via magnetic separation for use as a pigment or phosphate source. Lithium and magnesium are being extracted from desalination brine at battery-grade purity. Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetate and propionate are emerging as high-value intermediates for chemicals and animal feed, commanding up to 10 times the value per unit of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) compared to methane. Also, new bio-based materials like Kaumera are beginning to prove their worth.  

Traditional processes – anaerobic digestion for biogas, struvite precipitation for phosphorus – remain valuable. But the horizon is expanding, and the recovery community is increasingly exploring a broader portfolio of products, where different treatment trains may be optimised for different outputs. 

Business models and ecosystems – beyond technology 

These process options are just part of the story. One of the striking shifts at this year’s Resource Recovery Conference was that the conversation moved beyond the technical ‘how’ of resource recovery and into the economic ‘why’ and ‘for whom’. If recovery is to move from laboratory to market, it cannot be justified only by process diagrams or pilot results. It must be supported by viable business models. 

This line of thinking draws on tools such as the business model canvas: Who are the customers for recovered products? What value proposition do they offer compared with substitutes already on the market? Through which channels will they be delivered? And perhaps most critically, does the cost structure and potential revenue make sense for the utility or its partners? 

Another clear takeaway from the conference (echoed by Bernhard Truffer in his contribution to the IWA Resource Recovery Conference special magazine issue) is that resource recovery is not the sole responsibility of utilities but the work of an entire ecosystem. Progress depends on networks of actors – utilities, technology providers, regulators, financiers and off-takers – aligning their roles to make new products viable. For such networks to succeed, dedicated businesses are needed that can master the technology, understand the market and operate profitably, all without undermining the public service mandate of the utility. Within this model, utilities are not the finished-goods producers but the suppliers of feedstock, enabling others to refine, distribute, and sell. This is not a replacement of the traditional utility model, but an expansion of it – one that requires careful coordination to balance the public mission with market-orientated ambition, and in doing so, unlocks a more dynamic and resilient future for the sector. 

The low volume, high value opportunity 

Among the emerging technology and product options there are some that stand out as being what we can call low volume, high value opportunities. Battery-grade lithium is one example. SCFAs are another. 

The emergence of these options adds weight to the potential for a profound change – one that is not technological, but philosophical. With the historic treatment objective of protecting health and the environment, resource recovery was a useful by-product. The future may invert this logic: recovery becomes the organising principle, and safe water discharge the inevitable co-benefit. 

Yet there is a tension here that organisational theorists call conflicting institutional logics – a concept also highlighted by Bernhard Truffer. On the one hand, utilities are anchored in their public service mandate: protect health, safeguard the environment and deliver reliable services at cost. On the other, they are now being asked to think and act like market players, developing new products, cultivating buyers and chasing value streams. 

These two logics do not sit comfortably together. Should resource recovery remain an afterthought – a useful by-product of treatment – or should it become the central organising principle, with wastewater treatment reframed as the necessary co-benefit of production? It is not obvious that a stable middle ground exists. So, as we look ahead to the resource recovery opportunities, the sector may need to wrestle with a deeper question: what is the primary purpose of a wastewater utility in a resource-scarce, climate-pressured world? 

The role of IWA – driving innovation 

This is where networks like IWA come in. Utilities carry immense responsibilities: delivering safe drinking water, protecting public health and ensuring reliable wastewater treatment. With such vital mandates, they understandably have little capacity to experiment with new business models or explore how resource recovery could work in practice. Instead, they depend on wider networks to create the space where innovation can emerge. 

That is exactly the role IWA has played – and will continue to play. Through our Specialist Groups, conferences and Resource Recovery cluster, we provide the platforms where utilities can engage with researchers, technology providers, and market actors to explore opportunities and test ideas. In this way, IWA helps move the resource recovery narrative forward: not by prescribing solutions, but by curating the evidence, conversations and partnerships that allow the most promising pathways to take root and flourish. 

Design choices shaped by purpose 

The shift towards low volume, high value options is not an abstract debate; it has very tangible implications for how we design our systems. The treatment trains we select, the scale and location of plants, and even the partnerships we prioritise, will increasingly be determined by what it is we seek to extract. Do we build around neutralisation, where safe discharge is the primary goal, or do we build around extraction, where recovery defines the flow sheet and treatment is the necessary by-product? 

This type of thinking is not entirely new. The discipline of industrial ecology has for decades examined how resource flows can be mapped, optimised and aligned to create value. What is striking is that only now is the water sector beginning to embrace similar questions: if wastewater is a feedstock, what is the most effective way to mine it? Which products justify the investment? And how do those choices cascade down into infrastructure decisions that may lock us into one pathway for decades? 

Such reflections underscore why the sector cannot treat resource recovery as a marginal add-on. It compels us to ask: what kind of system are we designing, and for what purpose? 

It is evident too that resource recovery cannot be reduced to a single pathway. Every recovered resource has its own technical requirements, cost dynamics and market realities. Recovery, therefore, is not one alternative trajectory but a constellation of possible pathways, each demanding different partners, skills and support. Utilities cannot chase all of them. They must decide selectively, choosing which resources to target, which markets to engage, and which innovation systems to align with. 

So, not every utility should try to recover everything. Success may depend on choosing a lane – identifying which resources make sense in a given context, based on local demand, partnership opportunities, and institutional capacity. This is not a retreat from ambition, but a shift toward strategic focus. 

A new paradigm emerging 

If we step back, what is emerging is more than an incremental change in treatment – it is a reframing right across our water systems. From disposal to production. From sunk costs to value generation. From rigid infrastructure to adaptive platforms. 

The opportunities are real, but so are the challenges. Financial viability, enabling policy and public trust will be decisive. And we must avoid naїve techno-optimism: not every product will scale, not every system will pay for itself, and not every context will favour resource recovery. But even recognising these caveats, the trajectory is clear. 

This shift is no longer just about sustainability – it is equally about resource security, circular supply chains, and resilience in a volatile world. As policies like the EU Critical Raw Materials Act recognise wastewater as a source of strategic materials, the case for transformation is not simply environmental; it is also economic and geopolitical. 

We are entering a period where water professionals must think beyond compliance and ask: What if wastewater was the starting point for the materials and energy systems of tomorrow? What would that mean for how we design, finance and govern our infrastructure today? 

That is the frontier now opening before us. And it is one that calls for boldness, pragmatism and imagination in equal measure. For IWA members, the challenge is clear: we must lead in moving this agenda forward – not only by developing technologies, but by rethinking business models, forging partnerships and strengthening the ecosystems in which recovery can thrive. The choices we make today will determine whether wastewater remains an end-of-pipe obligation or becomes the starting point of tomorrow’s resource-secure, circular economy. 

More information 

The conference special magazine edition is available at: https://resourcesinwater.com

The author: Kala Vairavamoorthy is the CEO of the International Water Association 

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