The International Water Resources Association (IWRA) is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

and a

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

, with the purpose of improving the management of water resources. It is a

professional network A professional network service (or, in an Internet context, simply professional network) is a type of social network service that focuses on interactions and relationships for business opportunities and career growth, with less emphasis on activiti ...

of water experts which facilitates global

knowledge sharing Knowledge sharing is an activity through which knowledge (namely, information, skills, or expertise) is exchanged among people, friends, peers, families, communities (for example, Wikipedia), or within or between organizations. It bridges the ind ...

of water resources information across disciplines and geographies. IWRA accomplishes its goal of education and knowledge sharing through events, publications and networking opportunities. The IWRA executive office is located in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

History

The IWRA was incorporated in the U.S.

state of Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Mich ...

in 1971 as a global forum for interdisciplinary knowledge and experience exchange, to supplement the activities of existing organisations and to fill interdisciplinary voids that existed in the professional field of

water resources Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; slight ...

. The association began operation in 1972 with

Ven Te Chow Ven Te Chow (; October 7, 1919, Hangzhou, China, – July 30, 1981), was a Chinese-American engineer. He was a widely recognized hydrologist and hydraulic engineer, acclaimed for his contributions to hydrology and water resources development. He w ...

as the first president. In 1988, the Ven Te Chow Memorial Lecture and Award was initiated to honor the founding president.

World Water Congress

The flagship event organized by the IWRA is the World Water Congress. It has occurred 16 times since 1973, in various locations around the world, having previously occurred in the USA, India, Mexico, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Egypt, Australia, Spain, France, Brazil, and Scotland. These congresses are a meeting space for stakeholders from multiple disciplines to connect, identify global water themes and present new knowledge, research and developments in the industry. Its themes work towards achieving elements of the Sustainable Development Goals and the COP 21

Paris Agreement The Paris Agreement (french: Accord de Paris), often referred to as the Paris Accords or the Paris Climate Accords, is an international treaty on climate change. Adopted in 2015, the agreement covers climate change mitigation, Climate change a ...

. During the VIIIth World Water Congress held in Cairo, Egypt in November 1994, a special session led to the development of the World Water Council. The XVIth World Water Congress took place in Cancun, Mexico in May 2017, and focused on the theme of Bridging Science and Policy.

Cancun Declaration

A major outcome of the XVI World Water Congress was IWRA's ''Cancun Declaration - A Call for Action to Bridge Science and Water Policy-Making for Sustainable Development''. This Declaration calls for urgent mobilization of knowledge generators, governments, donors, professionals and civil society to join their efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda and

Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future".United Nations (2017) R ...

. At a time where science is often pressured from both policy and funding perspectives, this declaration stresses that business as usual in science, policy and implementation is not an option, and that stronger efforts for new interdisciplinary knowledge and better knowledge sharing are crucial. This means that scientific

evidence-based policy Evidence-based policy is an idea in public policy proposing that policy decisions should be based on, or informed by, rigorously established objective evidence. The implied contrast is with policymaking based on ideology, 'common sense,' anecd ...

making is essential, and the dissemination of good practices is key for fostering the implementation of adaptive solutions. The Declaration calls for action from policy makers, scientists and professionals as well as civil society.

Publications

The official

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

journal of IWRA is '' Water International (WI)'', published through Taylor and Francis. It contains original articles and technical notes. In addition, IWRA publishes ''Policy Briefs'' alongside WI articles, published with support from

Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...

. ''IWRA Update'' is the quarterly newsletter distributed to members on global water news and association activities.

References

{{Authority control International water associations Professional associations based in the United States Environmental organizations established in 1971 1971 establishments in Wisconsin Environmental organizations based in Wisconsin