About AWS-2026
The First Africa Water Security Conference (AWS-2026) is a groundbreaking initiative bringing together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders to address the critical challenge of water security across the African continent.
Conference Background
Water is an essential resource for Africa's sustainable development. Rapid population growth, climate change, and economic expansion are placing unprecedented pressure on the continent's water resources. Effective water management is now critical to ensure food and energy security mitigates conflicts, protect ecosystem health, and achieve the water-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The first Africa Water Security Conference (AWS-2026) is organized by the Africa Centre of Excellence for Water Management (ACEWM) under the College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University and its partners. This conference will serve as a premier platform for scientists, engineers, practitioners, policymakers, and government officials from Africa and around the world to share knowledge, innovate solutions, and forge collaborations.
We expect over 500 participants to engage in discussions on technological and institutional solutions to current water resource challenges and to chart future pathways for sustainable water management in Africa, ensuring we "leave no one behind."
Water is at the heart of Africa’s development challenges and opportunities. The continent faces rapid population growth (expected to double by 2050), accelerated urbanization, and increasing climate variability that intensify stress on water and aquatic ecosystems. According to UN Water (2023), one in three Africans still lack access to safe drinking water and the IPCC (2022) warns that climate-induced water insecurity could reduce agricultural yields by up to 20% by 2050 if no adaptive measures are taken.
At the same time, Africa is also a hub of innovation in decentralized water supply, community-led adaptation, and nature-based solutions. Building on Africa’s scientific capacity, the First Africa Water Security Conference (AWS-2026) will serve as a premier international platform to:
• Exchange cutting-edge scientific knowledge
• Co-develop innovative solutions for water security and aquatic ecosystem health
• Strengthen partnerships between science, policy, and practice
International Significance
This conference comes at a critical juncture:
- In 2026, countries will review progress on SDG 6 ahead of the 2030 Agenda deadline.
- Global climate negotiations increasingly highlight water as a key adaptation challenge.
- Africa, home to over 60% of the world’s transboundary waters, is central to debates on cooperation, peace, and sustainable development.
AWS-2026 will place Africa at the center of international water dialogue, linking regional realities with global solutions.
Publication Opportunities
Special Conference Issue
Selected high-quality papers presented at AWS-2026 will be invited for publication in a special issue of a leading peer-reviewed international journal focused on water resources and sustainability.
Conference Proceedings
All accepted abstracts will be published in the official AWS-2026 conference proceedings with an ISBN, providing authors with a citable publication and wider dissemination of their work.
Conference Secretariat
Contact Information
Email 1: feleke.zewge@aau.edu.et
Email 2: yitayewb2011@gmail.com
Website: www.aws-2026.org
Office Address
African Centre of Excellence for Water Security
College of Natural and Computational Science, Addis Ababa University
4-kilo Campus, P. O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Digital Library Bld. 4th Floor, R.N. 403