The International Water Association (IWA) is pleased to be participating in the African Water and Sanitation Association’s 22nd International Congress & Exhibition 2025, taking place on 16-20 February in Kampala, Uganda.
Under the theme ‘Water and Sanitation for All: A Secure Future for Africa’, AfWASA ICE 2025 will advance progress on tackling Africa’s water and sanitation challenges as the UN SDG 2030 deadline approaches.
With 411 million Africans still lacking safely managed drinking water and only two countries on track for universal basic sanitation, the Congress will spotlight and share experiences on proven practices, innovative solutions, and financing mechanisms to accelerate progress.
IWA has enjoyed long cooperation with AfWASA and has a growing number of Governing Members and Young Water Professionals Chapters across the continent. In host country Uganda, IWA also has an excellent relationship with the National Water & Sewerage Corporation. AfWASA ICE 2025 therefore provides an ideal platform to further strengthen national and regional partnerships. Programmatically, IWA’s Inclusive Urban Sanitation Initiative will work to advance its urban sanitation agenda through collaborative activities with partners.
As well as participating in the week’s programme, IWA is hosting a stand – A1/A2 in Hall 1 of the Exhibition, offering delegates the opportunity to engage directly with staff and learn more about the Association.
Some of the highlights scheduled for the week include:
16 February
09:00 – 13:00 EAT
5th Forum of AfWASA Professional Women’s Network
Theme: Women as Stewards in Empowering Change for Sustainable Water and Sanitation
Focus: Showcase women leaders’ successes, inspire change, and emphasise the critical role of gender and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in sustainable development
Convener: AfWASA
Young Water Professionals (YWPs) Forum
Theme: A Secure Water Future for Africa through YWP-Led Innovative and Sustainable Solutions
Focus: Empower emerging leaders through knowledge sharing, collaboration, and innovation while strengthening YWP chapters across Africa
Conveners: AfWASA, Ministry of Water and Environment, National Water & Sewerage Corporation, and IWA YWP – Uganda Country Chapter
Kala Vairavamoorthy, IWA’s Executive Director, was pleased to provide a keynote speech at the YWP Forum.
17 February
07:30-09:00 EAT
Africa CWIS Network Meeting
Session co-conveners: International Water Association (IWA) and the Gates Foundation
18 February
09:00-10:00 EAT
Plenary: Digitalisation and Innovation: a must to propel us into the future
Session co-conveners: Athena Infonomics and International Water Association (IWA)
Kala Vairavamoorthy, IWA’s Executive Director, will deliver a keynote speech.
10:30 – 17:00 EAT
CEO Forum
Session co-conveners: African Development Bank, World Bank, International Water Association (IWA), Global Water Leaders Group
13:30 – 15:00 EAT
Workshop Session: Africa Urban Sanitation Initiative (AUSII): Accelerating Access to Sanitation in Africa through Innovative Financing
Session Convener: African Development Bank
15:30 – 17:00 EAT
Workshop Session: High-level Summit: Africa WASH Coordination Platform
Session co-conveners: AfWASA, ESAWAS
19 February
13:30-15:00 EAT
Workshop Session: Regulating Sanitation: Lessons Learnt from CWIS and Opportunities for Rural Settings
Session co-conveners: UN-HABITAT, UNICEF, WSUP, WHO, and ESAWAS
Workshop Session: The African Strategy for Youth and Gender Mainstreaming in WASH: The Way Forward
Session co-conveners: AfWASA and AMCOW
15:30-17:00 EAT
Workshop Session: CWIS Implementation: Lessons and Insights for Scaling and Replication
Session co-conveners: UN-HABITAT, UNICEF, WSUP, and IWA
Florence Laker, IWA’s Senior Officer – Inclusive Urban Sanitation, is also representing IWA at the event throughout the week.
More information about AfWASA ICE 2025 is available here.
