Accelerating Innovation in the Water Sector from NBS to AI

Moderator:
• Kari Vigerstol, Global Director of Water Security Science & Innovation, The Nature Conservancy

Keynote Speaker:
• Diane D’Arras, Former Chair of IWA, former Suez Executive, Académie des technologies

Panelists:
• Mohamed Amine, General Manager, WATEC
• Shi Qiuchi , Former Director General of the International Economic & Technical Cooperation Exchange Centre, Ministry of Water Resources, China; Director of the IWRA Executive Board (2025–2027); Vice President of the IWRA China Chapter
• Frédéric Bretar, Head of Space for Climate Observatory, French National Center Space Studies
• Stephanie Janssen, Lead for the Water as Leverage Academy, Deltares

Global Water Governance in a Changing World: Strengthening Institutions & Multilateral Cooperation

Moderator:
• Eric Tardieu, Secretary General, International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO)

Keynote Speaker:
• Retno Marsudi, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water

Panelists:
• Nabil Ben Khatra, Executive Secretary, Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS)
• Kim Hyo-jung, Director General for Water Use Policy Bureau, Ministry of Environment, South Korea (TBC)
• Hicham Chad, Board member, TAQA Morocco
• Ousmane Hane, Secretary General, Organization for the Development of the Gambia river (OMVG)
• Meike van Ginneken, Water Envoy, Kingdom of the Netherlands (TBC)
Wrap up :
• Abou Amani, Director of the Division of Water Sciences, Secretary of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Program of UNESCO (UNESCO-IHP)

The Future of Water: Gaps, Opportunities, and Global Commitments Beyond 2030

Moderators:
• Akiça Bahri, International Expert and former Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries of Tunisia
• Tanja Miškova, Ambassador-at-Large for Water Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Slovenia

Wrap up :
• Alice Aureli-Vice President IWRA and Michel Frem, Global youth-led action for water, IWRA

Panelists:
• Mohamed Diatta, co-host of the 2026 UN Water Conference, Ministry of Water and Sanitation, Senegal
• Alvaro Lario, (or Representative of UN-Water )
• Rashid Mbazira, Executive Secretary, AMCOW
• Abdelhafid Debbarh, Advisor to the President of the International University of Rabat-Management of surface water and groundwater in arid and semi-arid areas
• Sonja Koppel, Secretary of the UNECE Water Convention
• Simi Kamal, Chairperson of Hisaar Foundation, Pakistan, and co-founder of the Panjwani-Hisaar Water Institute at NED University in Karachi

Interconnectivity and Systems Thinking in Water Management: Bridging Sectors for Resilience

Moderators:
• Rabi H. Mohtar, Professor, Texas A&M University.
• Bilge Kocamemi, Senior Project Advisor, Turkish Water Institute (SUEN).

Panelists:
• Abdelaziz Zerouali, Director General of Hydraulic Engineering, Ministry of Equipment and Water.
• Loic Fauchon, President of the World Water Council.
• Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director, CGIAR.
• Ahmed Zniber, Director General, OCP Group.
• Bernd Manfred Gawlik, Portfolio Co-Leader for Climate and Water Resilience, European Commission
• Stratos Pistikopoulos, Professor, EI, TAMU
• Ismahane Remonnay, VP of Foresights & Alliance, Veolia
• Yuanyuan Li, Vice president of GIWP/ President of IWRA