Water security and quality are critical issues all over the world, and last week in Marrakech, Morocco, scientists gathered to share research and solutions at the XIX World Water Congress.
Texas A&M AgriLife and Texas A&M Engineering experts presented research at the congress, which hosted over 1,200 participants from more than 80 countries, as well as 30 ministers and minister delegations, U.N. representatives, and international agency personnel. The event is hosted by the International Water Resources Association (IWRA).
Dr. Rabi Mohtar, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) research professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, serves as IWRA vice president and co-chair of the congress, helping lead the International Scientific Committee overseeing technical content.
“The 19th World Water Congress was hosted by the government of Morocco, focused on innovation in a changing world,” Mohtar said. “Besides the exceptional technical contributions, the legacy of the congress is in promoting youth and charting a path to inform the global water agenda through science and ministerial declarations that will be submitted to the U.N. Water Conference in 2026.”
One significant question facing Texas and other regions with decreasing water resources and increasing populations is whether alternative sources can be affordable and safe for communities. Dr. Giovanni Piccinni, director of the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), discussed this pressing topic during a special section titled “Unlocking New Water Frontiers: Exploring Opportunities and Risks of Alternative Sources for Agriculture and Urban Use.”
Research and analyses were presented by Texas A&M AgriLife experts, including Dr. Allen Berthold, TWRI associate director, Dr. Katie Lewis, AgriLife research scientist and professor, and Dr. Joseph Burke, AgriLife research and extension assistant professor. Presenters also included Dr. Maria Michela Dell'Anna from DICATECh and Dr. Vinay Nangia from the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas.
“Water is a shared resource that unites people across the globe, and the congress provided an invaluable platform for collaborating on the pressing challenges all nations face in managing it sustainably,” Piccinni said.
Dr. Rosario Sanchez, senior research scientist at TWRI, also presented at the congress, opening the special session on "The Future of Transboundary Aquifers Management under Legal Uncertainty," organized by the International Association for Water Law.
Texas A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife were well-represented at the congress, hosting more than 10 special sessions and contributing to numerous presentations.