The IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia), was the global event for water professionals covering the full water cycle in 2016. This report highlights the conclusions, key messages and outcomes to emerge from five days of critical discussions and debates into the future of sustainable water management.

A world in which water is managed wisely is one where all individuals have access to safe water and adequate sanitation, where water and wastewater make a positive contribution to resource efficiency, and where the quality of water in rivers, lakes, aquifers and other water bodies safeguards environmental and public health. To create a water-wise world we need to reduce, renew, and replenish our supplies.

This was the vision behind the World Water Congress & Exhibition 2016. Over 4,700 leading water professionals from 108 countries came together to debate the challenges, opportunities and solutions for achieving a water-wise world. Thought leading keynotes, leadership forums, workshops, technical sessions, business forums, training sessions and networking opportunities brought new insights, forged new partnerships and showcased new ideas for solving the global water crisis.