| Type | Professional Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| Origins | IWSA, IAWQ |
| Area served | World wide |
| Focus | Sustainable Water Management |
| Method | Conferences, Publications, Interest Groups, Task Forces, Forums |
| Website | http://www.iwahq.org |
The International Water Association (IWA) is a self-governing non-profit organization which aims to cover all facets of the water cycle. The body is headquartered in London, with a global secreteriat based in The Hague and offices in Beijing, Bucharest, Nairobi, Singapore and Washington DC.
The group's mission is to serve as a worldwide network for water professionals and to advancing standards and best practices in sustainable water management. The association has four member types: individual, student, corporate, and governing members. There are about 10,000 individual and 500 corporate members, with governing members in approximately 80 countries.
IWA hosts annually more than 40 specialist conferences and workshops on various aspects of water management. The next IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition will take place in Busan, South Korea in 2012. Annual events co-ordinated by the IWA include World Water Monitoring Day, which aims to build public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world.
IWA has its roots in the International Water Supply Association (IWSA), established in 1947, and the International Water Quality Association (IAWQ), which originally formed as the International Association for Water Pollution Research in 1965. The two groups merged in 1999 to form IWA.
IWA Publishing, the wholly owned subsidiary of the International Water Association (IWA), provides information services on all aspects of water, wastewater and related environmental fields.
The publishing programme includes Water21 (the IWA membership magazine) and a broad range of journals, books, research reports, manuals of best practice, and online services.