At the conference, YWPs engaged with global leaders in panels, workshops, and roundtables. The Fellowship culminated at Grundfos Headquarters in Denmark in September 2023, where YWPs showcased projects, discussed takeaways, and emphasised the crucial role of young professionals in shaping the water sector’s future.

Earlier this week, these young water professionals presented an impactful and unique publication at the 5th IWA 2023 Emerging Water Leaders Forum held alongside the IWA Water and Development Congress & Exhibition in Kigali, Rwanda. Impressed with the work the YWPs have done over the year, Grundfos announced that it will continue to support the Fellowship along with IWA by extending the collaboration and give the YWPs the opportunity to work and strengthen their projects. The members who have passed the 35-year mark will support the Fellowship in an advisory role, leaving 10 Youth members on the journey to accelerate water action. Grundfos and IWA will continue conversations to reinforce the value of youth for the water sector at a global scale.

Poul Due Jensen, CEO of Grundfos says, “We are proud to support the YWPs. When it comes to safeguarding our precious water resources, we have a responsibility to act now while at the same time being forward-looking. By collaborating with these dedicated young people, we are enabling future water leaders, whose fresh perspectives will lead us towards sustainable water management.”

Kala Vairavamoorthy, Executive Director, IWA added, “The Fellowship brought together 13 exceptional YWPs from diverse corners of the world, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries to create a transformative journey. The result of this journey is today’s joint Grundfos-IWA publication. The partnership with Grundfos is very important to us as it has enabled young water professionals to pick up and work on key projects and also have a voice at key global forums.”

The Youth Action for SDG6 – IWA & Grundfos Fellowship Outcomes aims to highlight the important role young people play in the UN 2030 Agenda, focusing on how the water sector can be transformed by their energy and excellence. It is a culmination of the exciting journey the 13 YWP have been on. Each chapter of this anthology is a mosaic of the Youth Fellows’ projects, carefully chosen to reflect their unique contributions toward achieving the SDGs, with a focus on SDG 6. The publication’s five chapters focus on how we can activate, develop, and yield the contributions from young water professionals around the globe effectively.

The publication is a testimony to the diverse understanding of the representatives of the Fellowship and offers both inspiration and concrete suggestions for actors in the water industry and policy makers.

Inês Breda, outgoing IWA-Grundfos Fellow & Senior Manager of Global Partnerships and Alliances, Grundfos, says “Participating in the fellowship feels like getting a sneak peek of the water crisis at a global scale, while at the same time it gives me hope because I experienced how water professionals from all around the globe spend vast amount of their time and energy into developing solutions.  I am thankful for the experience and I cannot wait to continue to support the current young leaders of the water sector.”

The 7th Edition of International Water Association, Water and Development Congress & Exhibition (IWA – WDCE) 2023 convenes at Kigali Convention Centre on 10-14 December 2023.

The WDCE 2023 brings water professionals around the globe to discuss water and sanitation opportunities and challenges to come up with innovative solutions geared towards ensuring safe, sustainable and climate-resilient water and sanitation services for all.

Dubbed under the theme ”Water, sanitation, and climate resilience – keys to a water-wise future”, the International Water Association’s Water and Development Congress & Exhibition 2023 is bringing together water and sanitation practitioners including policy makers, technologists, researchers, academia, members of the civil society, and financiers, amongst others, to share knowledge and best practices that would shape Africa’s innovation potential to meet the SDGs and address water issues.

The WDCE 2023 is hosted by the Republic of Rwanda under the joint coordination of IWA and Water and Sanitation Group (WASAC Ltd). The event will attract over 100 exhibitors around the global ultimately to showcase solutions in the water and sanitation sector.

The unique contributing factor of the 7th edition of WDCE2023 is built around five broad thematic areas:

• Drinking water treatment and supply
• Wastewater treatment and sanitation services
• Integrated water management and planning
• Utility management and operation
• Governance and finance.

This is an outstanding opportunity for governments and other stakeholders to share insights on specific needs and interests that would be game changers to low- and middle-income countries in the water and sanitation sector.

IWA is the leading network and global knowledge hub for all water professionals and anyone committed to the future of water. With its legacy of over seventy years, it connects water professionals in more than 140 countries to find solutions to global water challenges as part of a broader sustainability agenda. IWA also promotes and supports technological innovation and best practices through international frameworks and standards.

“The 2030 deadline to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals is approaching fast. I believe all of those gathering in Kigali share a sense of urgency to meet on the vital issues around water, to share much-needed insights and experience, and to better secure progress towards those goals,” said IWA President Tom Mollenkopf.

“Both developed and developing economies are facing the issues of inadequate water supply, inadequate sanitation services, issues of climate change, management challenges among water utilities, and insufficient investment resources towards accelerating water and sanitation infrastructure. The Congress provides an opportunity to explore smart innovations and lessons from the region that can accelerate change,” commented Abimana Fidele, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure in Rwanda.

“We are proud to be co-hosting the Congress. Rwanda has made remarkable strides towards sustainable water management and sanitation. This means that our country provides an ideal setting for this significant event. This is an opportunity to forge new partnerships and strengthen collective efforts towards achieving water security and sanitation for sustainable development,” adds Prof. Omar Munyaneza CEO of WASAC Group Ltd.

“The value of the Congress platform is especially clear when it comes to sanitation, one of the core strands of the event theme. This is not just about needs; it is about the potential for low- and middle-income countries to pursue a different path. This offers exciting opportunities to combine decentralized and off-grid technologies in ways that integrate circular economy approaches.” stresses Kala Vairavamoorthy, Executive Director of IWA

Pictured from left to right: Prof. Omar Munyaneza, Abimana Fidele, Tom Mollenkopf