Counting down to Singapore International Water Week 2026

Now in its 11th year, Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 2026 will bring together thought leaders, experts and practitioners from governments, cities, utilities and industry from 15–18 June 2026 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore.

The biennial event plans to address some of the world’s most pressing urban water and climate-associated challenges.

Utilities and cities are facing mounting pressure on aging urban water systems, higher energy costs, increasing water demand, unsustainable water extraction practices, and more frequent and extreme flooding in urban areas. Caused by rapid urbanisation and economic growth, these effects are further exacerbated by climate impacts from extreme weather patterns and rising sea levels, and growing demand from water-intensive industries such as data centres.

SIWW2026 will therefore focus on the key themes of municipal water solutions, coastal and flood resilience, and industrial water solutions. More than 80 sessions — ranging from high-level panels, roundtables, summits, workshops, forums and partner events — will be held over four days covering a wide spectrum of topics and issues related to these themes, with 2000 global leaders and experts expected in attendance, along with 25,000 trade visitors who are expected to visit the Water Expo.

SIWW2026 at a glance: key program highlights

Guest of honour Gan Kim Yong, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry, will deliver the opening address at SIWW2026 on Tuesday, 16 June 2026. This will be followed by the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2026 Award Ceremony, where the 2026 Laureate Professor Joan Bray Rose will receive the prize medallion and certificate from Mr Gan (read more about Rose’s work here).

The Ministerial Plenary will be held on the same morning after the opening, where Grace Fu, Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, will join other invited foreign water and environment ministers to share their perspectives on how countries can work together to advance the water and climate agenda.

Other program highlights at SIWW2026 include:

• Thought leadership
  High-level platforms such as the SIWW Keynotes, Titans of Industry, Coastal and Flood Resilience Leaders Summit, and the Water Leaders Summit will bring together global government, city, utility and industry leaders to exchange insights on latest trends, solutions and case studies across various thematic areas.
   
• Solutions and technology
  The Water Convention, TechXchange and the Industrial Water Solutions Forum will provide water experts, technology providers, scale-ups, utilities and industrial users with platforms to share urban water management, for municipal and industrial users.
   
• Business and networking
  The Water Expo, organised in cooperation with IFAT, will serve as a pre-eminent marketplace for the global water, coastal and flood community to converge and find opportunities in business. Featuring more than 20 pavilions and close to 500 international exhibitors, the expo — alongside networking functions and partner events — will bring together industry players, utilities and governments to foster collaboration and partnerships.

Leaders from utilities, cities and industry at SIWW2026

More than 55 utilities around the world will be participating in SIWW2026, with at least 40 represented at C-level. These senior executives will attend the Utilities CEO Roundtable, while technical experts will be speaking in other sessions and workshops during the week.

The utilities will be joined by close to 30 cities worldwide. City officials from these cities will be participating in the City Leaders Roundtable, as well as the Leaders Summit.

Senior leaders from international organisations and associations, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Asian Development Bank, World Bank Group, C40 Cities, International Water Association, International Desalination and Reuse Association will also be in attendance.

They are joined by global executives and experts from the water industry, including engineering consultants, technology providers, system integrators, contractors and OEMs.

For more information on SIWW2026, visit the event website or access the full program.

Image caption: Singapore skyline at night. Credit: iStock.com/leungchopan