From 27 to 30 November, the IAWD will team up with the International River Foundation to host the 25^th Anniversary Edition of the International River Symposium in Vienna. Save the date - this promises to be a worthy culmination of a year full of event highlights.

The International River Foundation drives the restoration, protection and sustainable management of the world’s rivers by facilitating knowledge sharing, education and best practice river basin management, and by recognizing and rewarding those making a difference.

In 1998, the Foundation held the first International River Symposium in Brisbane, Australia, to provide a knowledge sharing platform for river managers, policy developers, scientists, consultants, NGOs and community organizations engaging in river and water management. Over the following two and a half decades, the Symposium has hosted thousands of delegates from all over the world, supporting the growth of networks and the exchange of innovative ideas and valuable experiences between river and water management experts on a global scale.

For the 25^th anniversary edition of the Symposium, the International River Foundation has teamed up with the IAWD to create a really memorable event on the shore of the world's most international river, the Danube. Titled "Journey to resilience – Communities, Climate and Biodiversity", the International River Symposium 2022 will be held in pre-Christmas Vienna with all its famous treats, but it will also connect to the world, with the Symposium broadcast online, local events in other time zones and remote events that feed into the event in Vienna.

Keynote speakers include Stuart Orr, Leader Freshwater Practice at the World Wide Fund for Nature, who will remind the audience of the "hidden" benefits of healthy river, and Birgit Vogel, Executive Secretary of ICPDR, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), who will reflect on the journey of cooperation and work of the Danube countries since the signing of the Danube Protection Convention and the establishment of the ICPDR.

IAWD's contributions to the rich program include co-organizing the workshop "River Cities Dialogue - Danube and Brisbane Stories" und the workshop series "The Future of River Cities: community resilience and disaster management, Culture, infrastructure, sports, events ".

A highlight of the Symposium will be the announcement of the winners of this year's European River Prize, honoring excellence in the management, conservation and development of Europe’s rivers, wetlands and surrounding communities. The Shortlist includes more than one competitor from the Danube basin.

A host of organizations, institutions and individuals with a stake in river protection and management will attend, as will representatives of governments and supranational bodies.

For details of the rich event program please follow the link below. Welcome to the highlight of 2022!