Past Events

Global Water Alliance 15th Annual Conference

On October 22, 2022, GWA hosted a one-day conference that explored the progress made to date, the remaining challenges, and examples of policy implementations in meeting the sanitation goal set by the UN that is to be accomplished by 2030. Speakers and panelists provided perspectives from a variety of international, national, and local organizations. Guest speakers included Ann Thomas, Senior WASH Advisor, Sanitation and Hygiene, UNICEF; David Parker, Deputy Director, Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene, Gates Foundation; Kelly Parsons, CEO, WaterAid America; Eddy Perez, Technical Director, Global WASH & Health, Global Communities

For access to the recording and resources from the event, click here

Water Infrastructure for People and Planet

On June 9, 2022, GWA board member, Debbie Heuckeroth, hosted a webinar covering topics related to water and wastewater infrastructure, including global and local examples large and small with strategies and tools for public private partnerships, environmental sustainability, climate resiliency, watershed and land use considerations, and gray and green infrastructure complimentary approaches. Joining the webinar were panelists Lindsey Geiger, PE, ENV SP, LEED AP BD+C, Director, Education, Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, Gerard Dalziel, PE, Chief Engineer, Engineers Without Borders – USA, and Gail Farmer (she/her), Executive Director, Wissahickon Trails.

For access to the recording and resources from the event, click here  (at the bottom of the event page)

Water Symposium Water & Peace: The Art of Sharing Water

Hartwick College and Global Water Alliance hosted a symposium on Water & Peace: The Art of Sharing Water on October 14, 2019 from 8:00 am – 1:00 pm ET at the Anderson Center for the Arts, Hartwick College.

9th Annual Conference - W.A.S.H. and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2015-2030
Attendees at the 9th Annual Global Water Alliance Conference discussed the new UN Sustainable Development Goals for water, sanitation, and hygiene [WASH] and what major organizations are doing to help developing countries attain them. Conference Proceedings and Presentations can be found at this page.
13th Annual Conference : Achieving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sustainability Goals for Developing Countries

With the overwhelming success of the 10th GWA Conference (2017) in Kolkata, India, the Board of Directors of GWA hosted the 13th Annual Conference in Kolkata, India on January 4-7, 2020. The conference worked jointly with local universities and organizations in Philadelphia and with the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, SHIBPUR, as well as the Rural Development Forum of the Institution of Engineers (India) and others in India.
Conference Proceedings can be found here.

Revisiting The River Nile Basin

On November 16, 2021, GWA moderator, Vince Uhl, Professional Hydrogeologist at UHL & Associates, Inc., hosted the second Nile River Basin discussion with distinguished panelists Lange Schermerhorn, Former Ambassador to Djibouti; Dr. Hani Sewilam, Professor of Water Resources Management and Rector’s Delegate, RWTH Aachen University – Germany; Dr. Seifu Kebede, Professor of Hydrogeology at University of KwaZulu in South Africa; and Dr. David Kreamer, Professor of Hydrogeology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and President of the International Association of Hydrogeologists.  The complex and varied uses of water are exemplified within the Nile River Basin, a transboundary river system with a long history of tension, conflict, but also cooperation.  The Nile River travels through eleven riparian nations in northeastern Africa.  Watch the recording of the event here.

Securing the Green to Make it Clean: Funding for Sustainable Sanitation

On Saturday, October 9, 2021, the Global Water Alliance with Thomas Jefferson University held its virtual 14th Annual Conference titled, “Securing the Green to Make it Clean: Funding for Sustainable Sanitation.” The conference—the theme of which draws its inspiration from the 2020 launch of the United Nations-affiliated Sanitation and Hygiene Fund—brought speakers from across the finance sector to address the modernization of traditional funding sources, as well as the innovations needed to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6: water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for all. Conference information and recording can be found here

Governance Issues of the Nile Basin Webinar : A Technical Assessment - Looking back and discussing the future

The complex and varied uses of water are exemplified within the Nile River Basin, a transboundary water source with a long history of tension, conflict, but also cooperation. On August 19, 2020, GWA brought together practitioners and researchers to offer different perspectives on the construction and filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a hydroelectric power dam on the Blue Nile meant to provide power for a significant portion of Ethiopia’s population – ultimately a source of immense tension between Ethiopia and Egypt. The webinar recording can be found here. 

2020 Conference on Water and Peace: Promoting Security through Equitable Policy, Governance and Technology

Global Water Alliance, Drexel University, and the Water Center at Penn hosted a  Water and Peace Conference on September 24, 2020. This conference gathered local, national, and international water professionals and researchers/students to discuss “water, sanitation, and hygiene” (WASH) strategies and governance for security, sustainability, and resiliency with an eye to peace norms and ethics. This was a preparatory event for the 2021 World Water Forum in Senegal and included guest speakers and panelists from all over the world. Conference proceedings and recordings can be found here. 

12th Annual Conference - Solving US and Global Water Inequities: Sharing Solutions from Around the World

Over 140 professionals, students, and other stakeholders gathered for the 12th annual conference of the Global Water Alliance, held at The Wharton School in Philadelphia, around the theme of finding solutions to inequities in the water sector: Solving US and Global Water Inequities: Sharing Solutions from Around the World. Conference Proceedings and Summary can be found at this page. 

GWA Webinar Series: On the Road to Dakar, Recruiting the Voices of Youth for the World Water Forum

On March 22, 2021, GWA held a Webinar to create awareness and motivate young people to contribute to the success of the World Water Forum 2022 (WWF) through active involvement with water organizations from around the world. This Webinar is also intended to motivate young people to come to Dakar and participate in the Forum itself. Conference information and recording can be found here.

10th Annual Conference - The Role of Locals in Implementing Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Sustainable Development Goals, 2015-2030

The 10th Annual Global Water Alliance Conference was held in Kolkata, India where presenters spoke about the advancements made in WASH access in school, arsenic removal and filtrations, and many other important topics affecting not just Kolkata, but impoverished communities around the world. Conference Proceedings and Video can be found at this page.