IWA announces 2026 water award winners as World Water Congress opens in Glasgow

The International Water Association (IWA) has announced the winners of three major water-sector awards as its 2026 World Water Congress & Exhibition opens in Glasgow, Scotland. Clarissa Brocklehurst received the 2026 IWA Global Water Award, Abishek S Narayan was presented with the Young Leadership Award and Faustina Boachie received the Gender, Diversity and Water Award during the Congress Opening Ceremony on 4 October.

Global water community gathers in Glasgow

The IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition runs from 4–8 October 2026 at the Scottish Event Campus under the theme, “Water action – the path to resilience and prosperity”. The five-day event brings together utilities, researchers, policymakers, regulators, technology providers and water professionals from around the world to discuss challenges and developments across the water cycle. The opening ceremony included contributions from IWA Executive Director Kalanithy Vairavamoorthy, IWA President Hamanth Kasan and Congress Co-Presidents Alex Plant and Peter Simpson, alongside representatives from government, academia and industry.

Three IWA award winners announced

Three of IWA’s major awards were presented during the opening ceremony, recognising contributions across water leadership, diversity and the wider global water sector. Clarissa Brocklehurst was named recipient of the 2026 IWA Global Water Award. Abishek S Narayan received the 2026 IWA Young Leadership Award, while Faustina Boachie was named winner of the 2026 IWA Gender, Diversity and Water Award. The awards formed part of the opening programme as delegates began five days of technical sessions, discussions, networking and exhibitions focused on the future of water management.

Congress focuses on water resilience and prosperity

The 2026 Congress is centred on the relationship between water action, resilience and long-term prosperity. IWA is using the event as a platform for exchanging research and practical experience while developing partnerships across different parts of the global water sector. Professor Katherine Richardson of the University of Copenhagen delivered the opening keynote, placing water management within the wider environmental systems that support societies and ecosystems.

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

Her address called on delegates to translate the connections and discussions taking place during the Congress into action beyond the event itself.

IWA-Grundfos Fellowship opens for applications

The opening ceremony also marked the launch of the 2027–2028 IWA-Grundfos Fellowship Call for Applications. The announcement was made by Morten Riis, Group Head and Head of External Relations and Partnerships & Alliances at Grundfos. The fellowship forms part of the wider programme surrounding the Congress, which combines technical sessions with initiatives focused on professional development, collaboration and the next generation of water-sector leadership.

IWA recognises contributions from its members

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

World Water Congress continues until 8 October

The IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition is held biennially and covers issues across the full water cycle, bringing together scientific research, utility experience, policy, technology and industry. IWA has members in more than 140 countries and a network of more than 10,000 water professionals. The association organises and supports more than 30 events around the world each year. The 2026 World Water Congress & Exhibition continues in Glasgow until 8 October, with further information available from the International Water Association.