The International Water Association (IWA), in collaboration with the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), organized the 2025 IWA Water and Development Congress & Exhibition from 8–12 December 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, bringing together over 3,000 water professionals from more than 80 countries. Hosted at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, the eighth edition of this leading biennial event provided a global platform for dialogue, innovation, and collaboration on water and sanitation, with a focus on the Global South and Asia under the theme “Water, sanitation, and innovation pathways to progress and a resilient future.”
ITN-BUET actively participated in the Congress, demonstrating strong technical and institutional leadership. Representatives from ITN-BUET delivered eight oral presentations, ten poster presentations, and two poster pitch presentations, and also served as chair and co-chair of multiple technical sessions. Through these contributions, ITN-BUET highlighted its expanding role in shaping global discussion on sanitation and urban water governance.
The institute leveraged the platform to expand its network, disseminate knowledge, and showcase publications on sanitation, Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS), occupational health and safety, climate-resilient WASH technologies, and research series via flashcards with QR codes.
A significant milestone of ITN-BUET’s engagement was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Water & Sanitation Center (GWSC) at AIT. The MoU formalizes collaboration between the two institutions to advance CWIS implementation and strengthen digital governance in urban sanitation, reinforcing regional and global partnerships.
One of the Key highlights of the congress was the workshop titled “From Toilet Pit to Policy Pixels: Building Data-Driven Sanitation Systems in South Asia” held on 12 December 2025. The session, jointly organized by SNV, featured welcome remarks by Professor Dr. A. B. M. Badruzzaman, Vice-Chancellor of BUET, as chair, followed by a keynote by Professor Thammarat Koottatep of GWSC. The workshop featured country perspectives from country perspectives from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, focusing on digital sanitation platforms such as SanBoard, the Swachh Bharat Mission Dashboard, and Nepal’s NWASH Management Information System (MIS). Discussions explored key issues related to governance, financing, data interoperability, and regional collaboration, supported by interactive polling, group work, and high-level dialogue.
Overall, the IWA Water and Development Congress & Exhibition 2025 offered extensive networking and collaboration opportunities. Through its active participation, technical leadership, knowledge dissemination, and partnership-building initiatives, ITN-BUET reaffirmed its commitment to advancing inclusive, data-driven, and resilient water and sanitation systems at both regional and global levels.
