The Young Water Professionals Conference Bath

YPN BathThe water sector recognised some years ago that it was ageing and that it needed fresh talent if it was going to solve future important challenges. With this in mind, the International Water Association (IWA), the largest international network of water professionals with members in 130 countries, began to actively push for higher visibility and empowerment of Young Water Professionals (YWP). The UK YWP Chapter is one of the strongest in the world. Its annual conference is one of the largest gatherings of YWPs, with around 180 attending the event which was hosted by WIRC@Bath, and it offers a tailored conference for professionals emerging in the water industry. In April 2017 WISE CDT students Olivia Bailey, Aidan Barry, Olivia Cooke, Barney Dobson, Ioannis Markidis, Mariano Marinari, Ioanna Stamataki and James Webber attended the IWA YWP event and either made oral presentations or displayed posters to showcase their research projects. In addition to the technical sessions, the students attended four workshops on career development, the power of data in the water sector, communication and public engagement, all facilitated by professionals in the Water Industry.