International Water Week 2013: Amsterdam – Exhibition Highlight

With International Water Week nearly upon us, we take a look at some of the key events that will be taking place throughout the week. IWW will take place over in Amsterdam on the week commencing 4th November, 2013. 

International Water Week Official Opening

If you are attending IWW then be sure not to miss the official opening, the organisers have got hold of some distinguished guests and some of the best keynote speakers from throughout the Water Industry. The IWW official opening welcomes IWW delegates, sponsors, speakers, Aquatech exhibitors and special invitees.
Speakers at the opening, in order of appearance, include the following:

• Mr T. Lingmont, director International Exhibitions Amsterdam RAI
• Mr L. Silvis, Chair IWW Steering Committee
• Mrs C. Gehrels, Vice Mayor Amsterdam
• Mrs Sarah Dickens, Ambassador Young Water Professional Programme
• Mrs M. Schultz van Haegen, Dutch Minister of Infrastructure & The Environment
• H.R.H Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, Chair of UNSGAB
• H.E. Mr Trinh Dinh Dung, Minister of Construction, Vietnam
• Mr Joko Widodo, Governer DKI Jakarta

If your International Water Week intentions are to view the latest innovations and technologies for the Water Industry, then the Aquatech Innovation Award Ceremony is not to be missed, this will take place towards the end of the Official Opening.

Aquatech Amsterdam

If you are attending International Water Week then you are surely going to want to attend Aquatech. As part of IWW, Aquatech is now a full-scale event enticing professionals from all over the world. Aquatech is now the largest leading trade show in Europe solely dedicated to water.

It is anticipated that over 800 exhibitors and over 21,500+ visitors will be attending, including global market leaders.

Special focus for 2013 is based on waste water treatment and industrial water use. Hundreds of exhibitors will be highlighting their products and innovations.

Aquatech host its own innovation awards which highlights the most innovative products on the market today. Categories for the awards are as follows:

• Water treatment
• Waste water treatment
• Transport & storage
• Process control technology & process automation

Aquatech is going to donate each organisations entry fee (€100) to the AMREF Flying Doctors charity which will help a community in Kenya gain access to clean drinking water.

Take a look at this video from Aquatech highlighting the 2011 event:

International Water Week Conference

Over the course of two days, International Water Week Conference will be the host of multiple keynote speakers, sessions and workshops that are aimed to cover the following topics:

Technology for Optimising the Urban Water Cycle

This section of the conference aims to facilitate the transition of state-of-the-art science and technology into innovative solutions that can be applied in a wide variety of circumstances. The presentations will provide opportunities to present best practices and enable interactions to learn from solutions elsewhere.

Technical sessions will range from exploring state of the art technology for safe and sustainable wastewater recycling and reuse to technologies for decentralization of water and wastewater systems to technology which is optimizing resource recovery in the urban water cycle. Workshops will provide an opportunity for in depth dialogue, and serve as a catalyst for future action and partnerships. A selection of workshops in the “Technology for the urban water cycle” track includes exploring cutting edge technologies that can be used to combat emerging substances such as micro pollutants in the water cycle, and integrated approaches and technologies to have economically attractive water cycle solutions for the cities of the future.

Urban Delta Technology

In 2050 more than 70% of the world population will be concentrated in cities, most of which will be located in low-lying deltas. These delta cities face enormous challenges and opportunities in their transition towards sustainability and resilience against extreme events and adapting to the impacts of climate change. The “Urban Technology, Planning and Management” track will focus on innovative and new approaches for managing floods and droughts in deltas and cities. Technical sessions include presentations and discussions on water security and risk reduction, spatial planning and architectural aspects to optimize land use, innovative infrastructural developments, ecosystem aspects, resilience. Workshops in the “Urban Technology, Planning and Management” track will provide opportunities for in-depth exchange between international experts on the above topics as well as sustainable urbanization in deltas and addressing storm water discharge in a changing climate.

Integrated Urban Water Management

The transition to sustainable and resilient cities requires more effective interaction between water professionals, urban planners and industrial leaders. The “Integrated urban water management” track examines how urban resources and service can be a catalyst for the green economy through resource recovery and investment in sustainable infrastructure. The track also will explore the application of innovative technologies and water spatial planning can offer protection and build resilience against a changing climate and water cycle with increasing frequency of floods and droughts. Technical sessions will take place on these areas, as well as information and communication technology for optimized urban water management, urban water and public health, governance and institutional arrangements, the interaction between urban agriculture, energy and water management, among others. Workshops in the “Integrated urban water management” track will provide dialogue opportunities between sectors and geographic areas. Workshops will explore mechanisms to encourage and catalyse innovation with contributions from regulators, industry, research institutes and utilities.

Industrial - Municipal Water Use Solutions.

Resource constraints, higher energy and raw material prices and a general drive to sustainability are revolutionizing industrial processes and their water use. The “Industrial-Municipal water use solutions” track provides a platform to address changing resource availability through a variety of approaches including sustainable water reuse, recovery of raw, material from waste streams, optimizing water cycle management and improving the sustainability of value chains. Technical sessions will explore these approaches along with the water-energy nexus, solutions for improving water cycle management from industry, and how company water footprint reporting can be a mechanism to improve water efficiency. Workshops in the “Industrial-Municipal water use solutions” track will enable interaction across communities of practice, and allow the exchange of ideas and information between business, government and academia. Workshops in this track include exploring opportunities for resource recovery in the urban water cycle including discussions on the state of the art science, and how policy and regulation can provide incentives.

These workshops will form the heart of International Water Week. Prepare yourself for a lively environment with many industry experts discussing the latest topics and trends from the Water Industry.
The conference will take place at the Amsterdam RAI

IWW Young Water Professionals Programme

In order to cater for all ages, IWW will this year have its own programme for students and young professionals: organised by themselves. The programme gives youngsters the chance to win €1000 by creating a 3 minute film which gives an answer to the question “How secure is your water supply?”

Alongside the film production, IWW wants to provide a platform for young people to express their views about the future of the Water Industry. Every afternoon during ‘happy hour’ a speaker from the next day will sit down and discuss what they will be talking about the following day allowing the students and young professionals to speak with key influencers and industry experts.

Sarphati Sanitation Award 2013

In honour of Dr Samuel Sarphati, World Waternet and Aqua for All will issue this new biennial award for the outstanding contribution of an individual or organisation to the global sanitation and public health challenge through entrepreneurship.

The winner will receive a cash price of €50,000 as well a sculpture designed by Mart Róling.

Getting There?

Amsterdam RAI, Europaplein 2-22, 1078 GZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam RAI is only ten minutes away from Schiphol International Airport and has its own train station. The RAI is located just off Amsterdam’s A10 ring motorway (exit S109 RAI) and has its own underground car park. Visitors to public events are advised to use public transport.

We look forward to seeing everyone there, PIF