About

The Water and WASH Futures event series brings together both WASH and WRM professionals to discuss the challenges facing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 6 targets, in the context of a changing climate and in the midst of a global pandemic.

Water and WASH Futures series of forums

Water and WASH Futures series of forums

The Water and WASH Futures series of forums builds on the successes of the WASH Futures Conference series, providing a community of practice for water and WASH professionals to improve the quality and scale of impacts of Water and WASH development programs. This is achieved by improving the capabilities of Water and WASH professionals to design and implement best appropriate practices, including managing multi-sectoral issues such as integration of WASH and water resources management, integration with health and education sectors, addressing cross-cutting issues such as gender and social inclusion, climate change, disaster resilience, and urbanisation.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the critical need for WASH to prevent and mitigate infectious diseases. The timing of the pandemic caused the Water and WASH Futures Conference to be postponed to 2023 to ensure participation of international delegates, however, it has also raised opportunities for additional knowledge-sharing and learning activities. During 2020-2023 many countries will grapple with COVID-19 and seek to improve their WASH services and outcomes in order to mitigate the impacts. The Water and WASH Futures Conference Hosts and Committee decided to build on the strength of the Water and WASH Futures community by planning two additional virtual symposiums in the lead-up to the conference.

The first event – the WASH & The COVID-19 Pandemic Virtual Symposium, 21-22 April 2021, included 2 panel discussions and 10 workshops and was held in a virtual events platform, accessible worldwide.

The second virtual symposium will be held in June 2022 with the theme of Water, WASH and Climate

Host organisations

Host organisations

The International WaterCentre and the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) are proud to have worked to together in developing and delivering the 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2018 WASH Futures conferences. We are pleased together againĀ  to deliver the Water and WASH Futures series of forums.

We appreciate and thank the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their significant support of these events, which allows the forums to be more accessible to WASH and water professionals and practitioners globally. This initiative is part of the Water for Development program of DFAT.

Event Committees

Event Committees

Committees with diverse experience have been convened to guide the design and delivery of the Water and WASH Futures forums. The Committees have invested considerable time and enthusiasm in developing both the new virtual symposiums and the in-person conference themes and preparing an exciting conference program, and we thank them for their generosity.

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Partners & Sponsors

Partners & Sponsors

We are grateful to have a number of key partners and sponsors for our upcoming events.

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FAQ

How much will the virtual symposiums cost to attend?

Nothing! Participation in these virtual symposiums is free, due to the generous support of our key partners: Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Water for Women Fund and the Asian Development Bank.

When can I register for the Water and WASH Futures conference?

Stay tuned for future event announcements, however, in the meantime you can register your interest here, subscribe to the newsletter and follow our social media pages for updates.

What and when is the next virtual symposium?

Stay tuned for future event announcements, however, in the meantime you can register your interest here, subscribe to the newsletter and follow our social media pages for updates.

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in the Water and WASH Futures. If you have any questions relating to the events, please contact us via the link below.

Contact us

Resources & Blogs

For information and resources from past conferences, please click the link below.

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