Strong Dutch water sector presence in Bangkok
From 8 to 12 December 2025, the Dutch water sector made a strong and visible contribution to the IWA Water Development Congress & Exhibition (WDCE) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Organised by the International Water Association (IWA), co-hosted by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), and with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as a strategic partner, the event brought together more than 3,000 participants from across the globe. With a focus on water, sanitation and climate resilience in low and middle-income countries, the congress attracted a diverse audience of practitioners, utility managers, policymakers, academics, consultants, entrepreneurs and the media. The event was an excellent platform to showcase Dutch expertise and to engage in meaningful dialogue on shared global water challenges.
The Netherlands Pavilion: a hub of expertise and collaboration
The Netherlands Pavilion was organised by the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) in close cooperation with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Thailand and the PIB Cluster companies in the PIB Water Thailand programme. The Pavilion was located next to the IHE Delft booth, enabling joint collaboration and reinforcing a strong Dutch presence on the exhibition floor.
This year, we brought together 16 leading Dutch companies and organisations: Aquatech Asia, Desolenator BV, IHE Delft, OKRA, SNV, Your Filter Factory. Next to that, the participants in the Partners for International Business’ (PIB) PIB Water Thailand programme coordinated by The Netherlands-Thai Chamber of Commerce includeing: Bosman Watermanagement, Defacto Urbanism, Delta Context B.V., Haskoning, Hydrosat, Metameta, ROwat Water Control, Technimex, and WaveSave B.V.
The Pavilion served as a vibrant meeting hub, where organisations such as the Dutch Water Authorities, VEI, Susteq, World Waternet and others convened for meetings and networking. The pavilion attracted high-level visitors, including the management from the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, the Prime Minister of Sarawak and many other leading figures in the water sector.
Throughout the week, the Pavilion acted as a lively meeting place for international delegates. SNV’s soap box presentations in the breaks were well visited!
Knowledge exchange at the Business Forum
On Tuesday 9 December, NWP arranged an interactive session at the Business Forum entitled ‘Solving water challenges together’. The session focused on knowledge exchange and collaboration, highlighting innovative Dutch solutions and practical experiences from international projects. The event began with welcoming remarks by Loulou Zaat from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Thailand and was moderated by Mirjam van Buchem (NWP).
Presentations and discussions addressed key themes such as:
- integrated water management approaches;
- climate resilience and flood risk reduction;
- innovative technologies for water and wastewater treatment;
- public-private collaboration and international partnerships; and,
- the new Aquatech Asia Flagship event in Bangkok next year.
The interactive format encouraged dialogue between speakers and participants, leading to valuable exchanges of experiences and perspectives.
Following the business forum, a well-attended networking reception took place at the Netherlands Pavilion, supported by the PIB Cluster, Aquatech Asia, NWP, and RVO (The Netherlands Enterprise Agency). The networking event was opened with a speech by Mr Joost van Ettro, the Deputy Ambassador and Head of the Economic and Political Department at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Thailand, followed by opening remarks by René Bos, Director of Aquatech Asia.
