GCC cities are global leaders in water sustainability strategies, in the face of the region facing extreme water scarcity, industry experts announced today with the launch of the fourth International Water Summit (IWS) in 2017.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE, Doha, Qatar, and Riyadh and Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia rank in the top 50 in water sustainability, outpacing Mexico City, Johannesburg, Jakarta, Manila, Mumbai, and New Delhi, according to Arcadis NV, a Dutch consultancy.
The Middle East and North Africa is already one of the world’s most water-scarce regions, and all 21 countries are expected to fall below the World Health Organisation’s “water poverty line” of 1,000 annual cubic meters per person by 2030, according to a recent report by the World Resources Institute and GE.
Supporting water sustainability innovations and business deals in the MENA region, IWS, hosted by Masdar, in strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, will return to Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2017.
At the event, attendees can experience the latest solutions in water efficiency and desalination, wastewater treatment, and managing the water demand in a largely arid environment among exhibitors, investors, contractors, and government agencies.
IWS 2016 hosted more than 10,000 attendees and 185 exhibiting companies from 111 countries, with the IWS Conference program hosting 300 delegates and 75 expert speakers who exchanged knowledge and best practices on the region’s most pressing water issues.
Supporting home-grown entrepreneurs, the live competition Innovate@IWS will return with a panel of distinguished judges awarding the most promising technologies in the fields of Municipal, Industrial, and Real Estate water management.
Last edition’s winners included Echologics, which uses acoustics to pinpoint pipe leaks, Vienna Water Monitoring Solutions, whose ColiMinder instrument generates microbiological contamination results within 15 minutes, and Savage Showers, which can save 90 percent of water and energy used on a conventional shower.
Exhibitors and attendees can find a dedicated networking forum at the IWS TechTalks, with over 40 expert presentations and case studies on the latest water sustainability technology.
The Sustainability Business Connect program will return to foster business development among the public and private sectors. At IWS 2016, Sustainability Business Connect hosted more than 1,500 meetings with 52 companies from Egypt, Indian, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, and Pakistan.
IWS 2017 will be co-located with the World Future Energy Summit and EcoWaste exhibitions.
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