Welcome Messages – IWRA XX World Water Congress

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

H.E. İbrahim YUMAKLI

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry

Welcome Message

Esteemed Members of the Global Water Community,

Throughout history, water has guided civilizations, sustained prosperity and shaped the relationship between people and their environment. Today, in a world being transformed by climate change, technological advancement and shifting economic and social realities, water has acquired an even greater strategic importance. The way we manage water today will determine not only our water resilience, but also our food, energy, health and economic resilience tomorrow.

It is with this understanding that Türkiye is honoured to host the IWRA XX World Water Congress in İstanbul in October 2027, under the theme “Future of Water: Smart, Resilient, Circular, Inclusive.”

For Türkiye, this theme reflects a transformation already underway. We are strengthening our dams, reservoirs and irrigation infrastructure to enhance water storage, reinforce resilience to droughts and floods, support food security and contribute to renewable energy generation, while complementing these investments with smart systems, digital technologies and nature-based solutions. Through our nation-wide initiative on water efficiency, we are fostering a culture of efficiency across society. We are expanding water circularity, promoting water-centred agricultural planning and modern irrigation, and advancing the integration of water and clean energy.

Türkiye’s pioneering work in wastewater and environmental surveillance, extending from pandemic monitoring to antimicrobial resistance and contaminants of emerging concern, reflects our broader One Water, One Health approach. By considering wastewater, surface water and groundwater together, this approach recognizes the close connections between human and animal health, food safety and healthy ecosystems, supporting more integrated and resilient water management.

Our experience has reinforced the importance of addressing water not only as a resource to be managed, but as a strategic foundation for sustainable development, resilience, cooperation and shared prosperity.

This approach also shapes Türkiye’s efforts to advance regional and global water cooperation.” Through our active participation in global and regional water platforms, we support water diplomacy based on dialogue, knowledge, mutual benefit and shared responsibility. Türkiye aims for the knowledge, partnerships and outcomes emerging from İstanbul to contribute to the United Nations Water Conferences and other major international water processes, helping to turn global dialogue into stronger cooperation and concrete action. In a world where water challenges increasingly transcend borders, cooperation is not simply an option; it is a necessity. Where water connects us, cooperation must follow.

İstanbul gives this message particular significance. A city shaped by water and enriched by centuries of water heritage, İstanbul has always stood at the crossroads of continents and civilizations. Today, it offers the world something equally valuable: a place where history can meet innovation, and shared challenges can inspire shared purpose.

As the host country, we are proud to welcome the global water community to Türkiye. May the XX World Water Congress strengthen the partnerships, commitments and collective determination required for a water-secure, resilient and prosperous future.

I warmly welcome you to İstanbul and wish you a successful and inspiring Congress.

IWRA

Prof. Yuanyuan LI

President, International Water Resources Association (IWRA)

Welcome Message

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), I am delighted to invite you to the XX World Water Congress in Istanbul, Türkiye, in 2027.

The 20th edition marks an important milestone, as IWRA celebrates 55 years of advancing sustainable water resources management worldwide. Since 1971, IWRA has brought together experts across disciplines, sectors and regions to promote science-based solutions to the world’s water challenges. At the heart of our mission is a commitment to bridging science, policy and practice, ensuring that knowledge informs decisions and drives meaningful action.

The World Water Congress, IWRA’s flagship event since 1973, embodies this mission. For more than five decades, it has convened the international water community to exchange knowledge, foster collaboration, and advance progress on water. We are proud that the Congress continues to be a place where science and policy meet.

We are honoured to mark this milestone in Istanbul, Türkiye. Bridging Europe and Asia, Istanbul stands at the crossroads of continents, cultures and ideas, providing a fitting setting for an event built on international dialogue and cooperation.

Under the theme “Future of Water: Smart. Resilient. Circular. Inclusive.”, the XX World Water Congress will explore the transformations needed to secure our shared water future: harnessing science, data and innovation for smarter water management; strengthening resilience to climate change and uncertainty; advancing circular approaches to manage finite resources sustainably; and promoting inclusive governance that reflects diverse voices, knowledge and needs.

Taking place only ten months after the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, the Congress offers a timely opportunity to build on its momentum and turn global commitments into progress through science, policy, and practice.

I extend our sincere appreciation to Türkiye, our host organisations and partners, and the International Scientific Committee for their commitment and dedication to making this Congress possible. I also thank our IWRA members and colleagues across the international water community, whose knowledge and engagement shape this Congress.

The XX World Water Congress is an invitation to come together and shape what comes next. I hope you will join us in Istanbul in 2027 and contribute your perspectives to the important conversations that will take place. It will be a privilege to welcome the global water community as we open a new chapter in IWRA’s journey and help define the future of water.

International Scientific Committee Co-Chair

Alice AURELI, Ph.D

IWRA Vice President

Welcome Message

Dear Colleagues,

As Co-Chair of the International Scientific Committee, it is my great pleasure to invite you to the XX World Water Congress in Istanbul, Türkiye, in 2027, under the theme “Future of Water: Smart. Resilient. Circular. Inclusive.”

The context in which we understand and manage water is changing rapidly. Growing pressures on water resources are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected, as Climate change, population growth, urbanisation, environmental degradation intensify demands on finite resources. At the same time, advances in science, technology and innovation are creating new possibilities for how we respond to these pressures.

The XX World Water Congress will bring together researchers, policymakers, practitioners and experts from across sectors and regions, creating a space where research and experience can inform and connect with policy and practice.

The Congress theme is explored through six interconnected sub-themes: Smart and Innovative Tools for Water; The Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem-Health (WEFE-H) Nexus; The Circular Water Economy and Innovative Financing; Bridging Science and Policy for Enhanced Water Resilience; One Water, One Health; and Reimagining Water for the Future. Together, they provide a framework for examining the future of water through a truly interconnected lens.

Across five days in Istanbul, these discussions will come to life through a dynamic and varied programme. The scientific sessions and side-events provide an opportunity for dialogue and exchange, while field trips link these discussions with water management in practice. Throughout the Congress, there will also be ample space for conversations and connections to develop.. The Congress is designed not only to share knowledge, but also to create the conditions for new ideas and collaborations to emerge.

We warmly encourage you to bring your work and perspective to Istanbul and contribute to the discussions at the XX World Water Congress. . We look forward to five inspiring days of discovery, debate and connection, as together we explore and help shape the future of water.

International Scientific Committee Co-Chair

Prof. Bilge Alpaslan KOCAMEMİ

IWRA Executive Board Member
SUEN Scientific Advisor
Marmara University Environmental Engineering Dept.

Welcome Message

Dear Participants, Colleagues and Partners,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the XX World Water Congress and to invite you to be part of this important gathering in Istanbul in October 2027.

Water is entering a new era. Climate change, urbanization, health threats, food and energy security, technological transformation and growing inequalities are changing not only how we manage water, but how we must think about it. This is why we have chosen “Future of Water: Smart, Resilient, Circular, Inclusive” as the central theme of the XX World Water Congress.

Our ambition is to go beyond discussing today’s water-related challenges. We want to ask: What have we learned from the past? What must we change today? And what kind of water future do we want to create?

Answering these questions requires breaking traditional silos. The Congress will bring together not only the water community, but also actors from the many sectors that depend on and shape the future of water – including agriculture, food, energy, health, industry, environment, finance, technology and cities.

Too often, congresses bring together people who already speak the same professional language. In Istanbul, we want to change this. We want scientists to meet policymakers, engineers to engage with economists, health experts with water professionals, researchers with industry, and innovators with practitioners. Our goal is to create new synergies across disciplines, sectors and geographies.

We invite leading scientists, researchers and experienced professionals to share their knowledge and lessons learned. At the same time, we welcome young professionals, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers as active voices in tomorrow’s water agenda. The future needs both the imagination of youth and the wisdom of experience.

This spirit of exchange will be reflected throughout the Congress programme. Alongside parallel scientific sessions, special sessions, side events, youth activities and an Expo will create opportunities for private-sector engagement, dialogue, networking and new partnerships.

Türkiye, with its rich water heritage and evolving approaches to water management, provides a distinctive setting for these conversations. The Congress will also offer an important opportunity to bring science and policy closer together, connecting knowledge with the decisions that will define our water future.

Within this setting, Istanbul and the historic Golden Horn offer a particularly symbolic home for the Congress – a place where continents, cultures, histories and waters come together.

We invite you to join us in Istanbul not only to exchange knowledge, but to connect with people you may not otherwise meet, engage with perspectives that challenge and broaden your own, and contribute your experience and ideas. Together, we can inspire new partnerships, shape new thinking and reimagine the future of water.

We look forward to welcoming you to Istanbul in October 2027.