Event: British Water International Forum 2026

Date: February 2026

Location: London, UK

Role: Session Chair – Middle East & Asia Session

Type of CPD: International collaboration / leadership / innovation and environmental performance

Duration: Full‑day forum (session chairing + plenaries + networking)

Summary of the Event

I participated in the British Water International Forum 2026 in London, serving as Session Chair for the Middle East & Asia Session. The Forum brought together international utilities, government representatives, technology innovators, investors, engineering consultancies and British Water members to explore global opportunities for collaboration, innovation deployment and environmental improvement.

The Middle East & Asia Session focused on water scarcity, desalination, reuse, digital transformation, climate resilience, and infrastructure investment across rapidly developing and water‑stressed regions. The session highlighted the increasing demand for advanced monitoring, operational optimisation and nature‑positive strategies across diverse climatic and regulatory contexts.

My Contribution – Session Chair

• Opened and chaired the Middle East & Asia Session, setting the strategic context and facilitating a high‑quality discussion.
• Introduced speakers from utilities, ministries, technology companies and research institutions across the Middle East and Asia.
• Guided the session narrative around innovation adoption, digital optimisation, desalination performance, and climate‑resilient water management.
• Led Q&A discussions, drawing out insights on regulatory drivers, investment priorities and operational challenges.
• Highlighted the role of real‑time biological monitoring and integrated data ecosystems in improving treatment stability, environmental performance and transparency.
• Supported British Water’s mission to strengthen international partnerships and promote UK capability globally.

Key Themes Covered

International partnerships and capability building Knowledge exchange, pilot programmes and technology transfer.

Water scarcity and climate resilience Drought management, long‑term planning, and adaptation strategies in arid regions.

Desalination and reuse technologies Energy efficiency, membrane optimisation, brine management and circular‑resource strategies.

Digital transformation and real‑time monitoring AI, automation, digital twins, predictive analytics and integrated data ecosystems.

Environmental performance and regulatory expectations Pollution control, compliance, transparency and ecological outcomes.

Investment and infrastructure development Funding models, PPPs, innovation scaling and cross‑border collaboration.