Here's to 2023! Yes, this was a year of turmoil and trouble. If it was a glass of water, many would say it was half empty. But looking at all the things that the IAWD community has achieved, we feel that it was more than half full. Let us be grateful that we have each other.

Writing this last post of the year, we fill a glass with fresh, cool quality drinking water and drink to all the things that went so well against all the odds: We had a smashing Danube Water Conference and took the occasion to celebrate two proud anniversaries: Three decades of IAWD – and ten years of Danube Water Program.

We had our hands full running the Danube Water Program in its now fourth phase, and enjoyed the limelight at the UN Headquarters in New York, where the DWP was acclaimed as a lighthouse initiative and shining example for successful regional cooperation. 

We attended the kickoff meeting of RCDN+, the next project phase of RCDN, the Regional Capacity Development Network, in Podgorica, Montenegro and celebrated the success of our project proposal for the next grant period, helping to finance future activities such as a peer exchange with Aqua Publica Europea, a project development cooperation with NALAS, and further improving D-LeaP's architecture.

We visited IAWD member Sofia Water: Bulgaria's largest and most innovative utility company hosted both the IAWD Board Meeting/Strategy Retreat, and the kick-off session of the second cycle of D-LeaP's Utility Management Training, with 16 water professionals from six countries present.

We continued our popular DWP KnowKnow Webinar series with events related to the EU Wastewater Treatment Directive and to Attracting and Retaining Talent in the Water Sector.

These are just a few highlights that marked an altogether successful year, encouraging us to look forward to 2024, when IAWD members Apa Brasov and the Romanian Water Association will host “Riding the Wave: Water Sector Innovations for a new Climate Reality” – the 2024 Danube Water Forum. Save the date:  29 to 30 May in Brasov, Romania promises to be the year's highlight event. 

More information will follow soon, and if you would like to read up on all the things that happened this year and throughout the 30 years before: Today IAWD proudly publishes its 30 Year Booklet, commemorating the long road that we have walked together.

For now we raise the glass again and toast you – our members and all the active, engaged professionals who are part of the IAWD family. Without your interest, your support, and active help none of the above would have been possible.

So let us close the year with a huge “Thank You!” for making the glass a lot more than just half full.

We wish you Happy Holidays and another very successful New Year. 

P.S.: Feel free to replace the drinking water with something else that fits the occasion. Cheers!