The 11th edition of the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW2026) concluded successfully, attracting 2,000 delegates, including 800 industry leaders, and 21,000 trade visitors from more than 71 countries and regions to the Sands Expo and Convention Centre from 15 to 18 Jun 2026. Reinforcing its position as one of the world’s leading platforms for water, coastal and flood management solutions, SIWW2026 brought together governments, cities, utilities, academia and industry to exchange knowledge, showcase innovations and establish partnerships that support water security, climate resilience and sustainable urban water development.
Global participation from governments, utilities and cities
SIWW2026 welcomed senior representatives from governments, water agencies, utilities and cities worldwide. Attendees included H.E. Retno Marsudi, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water, ministers and vice-ministers from China, Thailand, Nigeria, Armenia, Timor-Leste and Sarawak, as well as the chairman of the Department of Energy in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Leaders from around 30 cities, including Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Hong Kong, New York City, Antwerp, Dubai, Jakarta, Melbourne, Quezon City and Tokyo, participated alongside representatives from almost 60 utilities across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the US. Senior officials from international organisations, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Asian Development Bank, World Bank Group, C40 Cities and the International Water Association, also attended, sharing insights on integrated water management, utility transformation and long-term resilience planning.
Advancing innovation and practical solutions
The event featured more than 100 sessions across three themes: municipal water solutions, industrial water solutions, and coastal and flood resilience. Through plenaries, summits, workshops and technical sessions, participants explored topics including artificial intelligence and digitalisation, water circularity, treatment and reuse technologies, industrial water management, nature-based solutions, coastal resilience, and financing models for sustainable infrastructure.
Largest-ever Water Expo
Organised in partnership with IFAT, the Water Expo was the largest in SIWW’s history, spanning six exhibition halls and 23,000 sq m of exhibition space. The exhibition featured 500 companies, with international exhibitors accounting for 56% of participants, alongside the largest Singapore Pavilion to date.
The expo showcased 53 product launches, 35 project announcements, and numerous memorandum of understanding (MOU) and contract signings, creating new opportunities for collaboration between technology providers, utilities and project owners.
Major announcements
Key announcements during SIWW2026 included:
• Nearly $100m in funding under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 Urban Solutions & Sustainability Domain to support PUB’s municipal and industrial water research.
• More than 15 MOUs and partnerships, including the establishment of Industrial Water Solutions Innovation Ecosystem Alliances for the data centre and wafer fabrication sectors.
• $14m awarded to five projects under the Coastal Protection and Flood Management Research programme to support pilot coastal protection measures.
• The launch of the Coastal Protection Code of Practice and the Flood-Resilient Developments Guidebook.
• New international partnerships to accelerate water technology development, including collaborations involving Ramboll, Henning Larsen, the Royal Danish Academy, the University of Canberra, Netatech, Dassault Systèmes and YellowScan.
• The publication of the third addendum to the fourth edition of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, introducing updated guidance on areas including small water supplies, water safety plans, microbial risk management and priority waterborne pathogens.
Ryan Yuen, managing director of SIWW, said: “SIWW2026 has shown what is possible when the global water community comes together with urgency, purpose and ambition. The ideas, partnerships and solutions advanced this week reflect the momentum needed to strengthen water security, climate resilience and sustainable urban development.”
The next edition, SIWW2028, will be held from 12 to 15 Jun 2028 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore.
