Prof. Adin's Statement

In the message below I intend to convey three major points:

IWA can and is obligated to become the leader of the water organizations around the world, for the benefit of mankind. This can be attained by encouraging INNOVATION in technology, management and education. I, Avner Adin, have the experience, capability, and dedication to help lead the IWA as future President in that direction

IWA, due to its Specialist Groups, Publications division, Strategic Council and others, led by the new management, is progressing since the merger. It is imperative that such a multi-disciplinary, skillful and motivated IWA, will assume even more leadership and generate the power to solve water problems globally and locally.

Provision of advice and consulting, improvement of information and technology transfer are all important activities to promote. Yet, INNOVATION in science and technology, in management and in education, is a tool that IWA can use better than any other international organization. Innovation does not mean necessarily complexity in manufacturing nor in application, the end product could be easy to operate and maintain and be less costly, which are important for less developed countries.

IWA image due to the above will be even greater in the eyes of public figures around the world. Both membership size and financial contributions will automatically increase, which in turn will strengthen the Association, enabling more aid to the needy.

How can I, being the President, assist?

The water scarcity in our dry area has forced us to innovate and pioneer. Some of the pioneering developments I have been involved in: surface and sub-surface drip irrigation, seawater desalination, membranes, SAT (soil-aquifer treatment), solar ponds, contact filtration. I have also gained experience in business by defining products and strategies to privately owned companies, and establishing a start-up company myself for research and development of electroflocculation. I have also developed and taught training courses for engineers and field operators in the public sector and industry. As detailed in my CV, I have functioned as a Director and Leader in various government positions, in the University and in local and international organizations. I helped creating policies and making policy decisions in Mexico, Senegal and other countries.

I will encourage international and local governments to fund start-ups up to actual deployment. I will drive water utilities experts to collaborate with economists to develop novel approaches to municipal close water budget management particularly in arid zones. Regarding education, I will make academics team-up with treatment plant operators to modify or develop new training programs that would tackle the problems of operation and maintenance of modern wastewater treatment plants in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Some of these programs could be developed as e-learning/remote-teaching packages for efficiency and cost reduction.

As detailed in my CV, I have served in IWA in various duties. Being on both IWA and WEF Boards of Directors I have already started, encouraged by the Executive Directors of both organizations, to promote co-operation beginning with water reuse. My wide international experience and Founding and leading our water Association during several years of severe drought, produced invaluable know-how in dealing with government ministers, parliament members, farmers and water suppliers which I would be happy to share with all IWA members.

In conclusion, IWA should act inter-disciplinarily, through innovation in technology, management and education. This, with the skills I would bring in, will make a stronger, dominating and more influential IWA.