AWWA broadens partnerships in global water community

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) is significantly expanding its international program and cultivating a global community dedicated to shaping water’s future. 

In the past five years, AWWA has tripled the number of its international partners and affiliates through memorandums of understanding, cooperative agreements and other levels of partnerships with leading organizations from Singapore, South Korea, India, Japan and other countries.

“Korea Water Partnership (KWP) prioritizes advancing the water industry through public-private partnerships, technology exchange, and international cooperation,” said Dr. Yuseop Shim, KWP’s executive director. “As Korea’s leading water industry platform, we aim to connect the knowledge and experiences of experts, which aligns with AWWA’s mission in providing solutions to effectively manage water, the world’s most vital resource.” (Pictured above from left, World Bank study tour group at Orange County Water District, Dr. Yuseop Shim from KWP, tour group at the Los Angeles Environmental Learning Center.) 

AWWA is expanding its engagement at international conferences, including these upcoming events:

•    AWWAIndia Annual International Conference & Exhibition (AICE), Sept. 18-19 in Goa, India
•    Asia International Water Week (AIWW), Sept. 24-28 in Beijing, China
•    Korea International Water Week (KIWW), Nov. 13-16 in Daegu, South Korea

Empowering emerging global water leaders

“We plan to strengthen our global partnership with AWWA through joint international events like ACE (AWWA’s Annual Conference and Exposition) and KIWW,” said Shim. “By deepening these connections, we aim to boost business opportunities in the water industry for all partners and support young water professionals and students by creating more engagement and learning opportunities. Additionally, we seek to learn from AWWA’s expertise like setting standards in water management to advance global utilities.”

AWWA’s recent Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE24) welcomed more than 450 international participants to California in June. AWWA collaborated with the World Bank to host a series of study tours in Southern California, providing international students an opportunity to explore innovative water management practices firsthand. 

“The study tours provided a profound understanding of how challenges like scarcity have catalyzed advancements in urban water security,” said a participating student from Barbados. “For instance, the innovative approaches adopted in California to combat drought and scarcity have showcased the potential of outside-the-box thinking in developing resilient water management strategies.”

In September, the Japan Water Works Association (JWWA) is sending a delegation of young professionals to the United States for specialized training with AWWA. This is the third time the two associations have provided this opportunity for Japanese emerging leaders.

AWWA’s vision is “a better world through better water” and its newly adopted 2030 Strategic Plan includes “engage globally” as a core principle.