Dear Water Europe family,
Our WE Water Vision evolves. Work on a new edition to be launched during WIE 2022, has already started. Our Vision fundamentals will, of course, remain unchanged, but five years of experience working with them, and the knowledge gained in an evolving policy landscape should allow for streamlining and useful improvement.
A very first International Water Dialogues event, closed recently, has contributed to strengthening the exchange and replication of good practices in WOLL contexts and to supporting ongoing EU water-related programmes for International Cooperation. Read more.
WIE 2022, is coming up on June 14-15 in Brussels. Registrations are now open. Having brought together the water community for already ten years, the last two fully digital editions engaged over 1.000 people. We are thrilled to celebrate this important milestone again with all of you, and possibly in person! With registration, the call for submissions to the WIE Awards 2022 also opened, so make sure your applications are received before May 15.
Hot news and making big headlines is the roll-out of our new online WE collaboration platform and WE app. This new tool will enable members to manage their membership information, to connect and network, to discuss and get informed on relevant topics, to receive important information on WE events and to manage participation in them. Overall, the best tool for stronger collaboration among WE members, yet!
Our guest editorial of this month is from Luisa Prista, who many of you know well. Luisa has been nominated the first external advisor to the WE board. Congratulations!
In closing, allow me to take up the final part of this editorial, as this will be my last in this format. In June, I will be stepping down as WE President and join Luisa Prista as first “internal” advisor to the WE board. Thus, my collaboration with all of you is bound to continue for some time.
10 years serving and taking care of the water sector, defending, and balancing the interests of each and every one of our members, pushing and steering, are plenty. With over 200 members, WE is today a strong, respected and financially independent organization which is fully recognized as representing the full water sector value chain. Our stats supporting European Research, shaping call contents, creating successful research projects and consortia are unbeatable. The path for transition to a new leadership, for more growth and for more and new ideas and successes, is laid out. I wish Hans Goosens, future WE president, all success, and all the luck, friendship, help and collaboration which I have encountered over all these years. Congratulations, as well!
Full credit for this remarkable success story goes to all of you, our members, and to the best staff team any association can have. I owe a special recognition to Durk Krol, many hours long companion, a second brain, relentless hard worker, and …friend.
During all these years, I have met people, I have made friends, I have learned enormously, and I have really enjoyed myself. I consider it a privilege and will always be thankful for the opportunity to participate in, and contribute to, this extraordinary adventure, …which continues!
Thank you all, for making it possible, …and so much fun!
