A packed conference schedule is in the last stages of preparation. Registration will open 13 September, and we are already quite excited: This may well become the most memorable Danube Water Conference ever.

The Danube Water Program, run by IAWD and the World Bank, invites everybody with an interest in the future of the Danube region to join the 2021 Danube Water Conference: “Building a Resilient and Water Secure Danube Region” in the afternoon of the 18 to 20 October.

The conference offers two thematic tracks, one on water security, the other on water supply and sanitation, and a rich schedule of plenary sessions and roundtable discussions.

Distinguished contributors

We will welcome a long list of distinguished contributors, among them Mr. Kala Vairavamoorthy, Executive Director of the International Water Association. He will bring his water resource management expertise and rich practical international experience from work with the World Bank, UN-Habitat, UNESCO, GWP, SIWI, ADB and the EU to his opening keynote on “Building a Resilient and Water Secure Danube Region”.

Another highlight will be a Lightning Talk on “Innovation needs in the water service sector” by Ms. Andrea Gysin, Head of Research, Development & Innovation at Thames Water. Ms. Gysin has spent two decades in blue chip consultancies, start-ups and growth businesses. In 2005 she launched an innovation program in the UK water industry that supported technology commercialization for over 50 start-up businesses and attracted over £20m venture investment to the sector.

Also well worth your while will be an “Ask me Anything” round with Gustavo Saltiel, Lead Water and Sanitation Specialist at the World Bank with three decades professional experience in the Water and Sustainable Development Sectors. Mr. Saltiel has been with the World Bank for 17 years, managing, among others, the Nile Basin and Cooperation in International Waters programs, as well as the Water Program in Kenya.

An almost “live” experience

After almost two years of wrestling with all kinds of travel and contact restrictions, we all would have loved to meet again in person, but given the unpredictable dynamics of the Covid-19 pandemic, and with the health and safety of all participants in mind, the organizers have decided to hold the 2021 Danube Water Conference as a virtual three-day event.

This year's Danube Water Conference will not happen live, but trust us: it will be closer to a live experience than ever since the beginning of the crisis. Why? Because the 2021 Danube Water Confernece will be held on a novel digital event platform that promises participants a near-live, full-spectrum conference experience, including keynotes, breakout sessions, roundtables, one-on-one contacts with exhibitors and, most importantly, private spaces for networking and personal contacts. A modest registration fee will help to finance this advanced, high quality virtual conference experience.

So save the date now, stay tuned for the full agenda and the registration opening by beginning of next week and enjoy:
Welcome to 2021 Danube Water Conference. It's about the future. It's about us. It's about you.