The International Water Association’s (IWA) 2026 World Water Congress & Exhibition is under way in Glasgow, Scotland, bringing the global water community together around the theme ‘Water action – the path to resilience and prosperity’.

The five-day event officially opened on Sunday, 4 October with the Congress’ traditional Opening Ceremony at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC), where celebration of leadership and achievement across the global water sector took centre stage.

A call to carry Glasgow’s momentum forward

The Opening Ceremony keynote was delivered by Professor Katherine Richardson of the University of Copenhagen, whose address placed water within the wider context of the interconnected systems that sustain life on Earth.

“It is the sum of local decisions that will determine whether or not we can successfully manage our future relationship with the global environment,” commented Richardson in her keynote.

Her keynote delivered a powerful call to the global water community to build on the connections made in Glasgow and carry that momentum into action long after the Congress.

Running from 4–8 October 2026, the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition brings together water professionals, utilities, researchers, policymakers, regulators, technology providers, young water professionals and other stakeholders from around the world.

Under this year’s theme, the Congress provides a global platform for sharing knowledge, strengthening partnerships and accelerating action on some of the most pressing water challenges facing societies today.

IWA honours member contributions

The opening ceremony also saw the winners of three prestigious IWA awards announced. Clarissa Brocklehurst was named recipient of the 2026 IWA Global Water Award, Dr Abishek Sankara Narayan received the 2026 IWA Young Leadership Award, and Faustina Boachie was named winner of the 2026 IWA Gender, Diversity and Water Award.

Alongside the three major awards presented during the Opening Ceremony, IWA’s membership honours were presented at the Presidents’ Dinner on 3 October. The Outstanding Service Award was presented to Blanca Antizar-Ladislao, Bambos Charalambous, Günter Langergraber and Nupur Bahadur, while Akissa Bahri, Dragan Savić and Mooyoung Han received the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Water Management and Science. Walter Kling was awarded Honorary Membership of IWA.

Congress delegates were welcomed with inspiring words from IWA Executive Director Kala Vairavamoorthy, IWA President Hamanth Kasan, Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, Congress Co-Presidents Alex Plant and Peter Simpson, and Dr Mohamed Diatta, Senegal’s Sherpa to the 2026 UN Water Conference. Morten Riis and Stephen Slessor as representatives of Congress Principal sponsors Grundfos and RSE, respectively, and Professor Amy Pruden and Professor Zhiguo Yuan, Co-Chairs of the Congress Programme Committee, added further messages of support.

Together, their contributions reflected the international and collaborative spirit of the Congress and the importance of using the week in Glasgow to exchange knowledge, build connections and accelerate action towards a more resilient and prosperous water future.

The Opening Ceremony also marked the launch of the 2027–2028 IWA-Grundfos Fellowship Call for Applications, announced by Morten Riis, Group Head and Head of External Relations and Partnerships & Alliances at Grundfos.

IWA has members in more than 140 countries worldwide, with a network of 10,000+ water professionals working towards a water wise world. Through this network, IWA organises and supports more than 30 events around the world each year.