The International Water Conference 2023 Sri Lanka has been successfully conducted by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board under the theme of ‘accelerating change to solve the water & sanitation crisis’ held from 14th to 15th December 2023 at the Centre of Excellence for Water & Sanitation (cewas), Ratmalana.
Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka conveyed their well-wishes to the event.
Hon. Jeevan Thondaman, Minister of Water Supply & Estate Infrastructure Development and Hon. Sanath Nishantha Perera, State Minister of Water Supply addressed the gathering and shared their insightful views and enlightened the audience with the different angles dealing with water and sanitation sector developments.
Mr. R.M.W.S. Samaradiwakara, Secretary to the Ministry of Water Supply & Estate Infrastructure Development gave his opening remarks preceding the welcome speech given by Mr. Nishantha Ranatunga, Chairman of the National Water Supply & Drainage Board in welcoming all the distinguished guests and participants to the conference.
Mr. Saroj Kumar Jha, Water Global Director Global Director for the World Bank Group’s Water Global Practice delivered a remarkable keynote address by sharing his knowledge, experience and expertise on global collective action to establish water security and global action agenda for green resilience & inclusive growth through climate resilience, Public Private Partnership and sustainability discussions.
The Main Conference comprised Inauguration Ceremony, Expert sessions, Business Forums, Research & Development Symposium with Technical Sessions followed by a field visit. The Expert Sessions by industry leaders and experts from around the world delivered impactful lectures on sustainable solutions for renewable energy, climate change adaptation and water resource management in addressing the issue of accelerating change in water and sanitation sector. Business Forum is a special item that discussed trending topics, explored business & investment opportunities to collaborate on the forefront of the water and sanitation industry.
The Eighth Annual Research & Development Symposium of the National Water Supply & Drainage Board was also conducted together with the International Water Conference 2023 that created a platform to serve as a catalyst for changes in the field of water and sanitation, fostering knowledge exchange with the innovative researches. This Symposium included a series of R&D Presentations, Q&A sessions and panel discussions.
The International Water Conference 2023 was a great opportunity for learning and sharing a wealth of knowledge on the latest technology, services and other developments that would accelerate change to solve the issues and make a significant impact on the country’s water and sanitation sector and that of the region.
Opening Ceremony
