548 पटक हेरिएको 
Kathmandu: Nearly 50 representatives from Nepal are participating in the Water & Development Congress & Exhibition (WDCE) 2025, currently taking place in Bangkok, Thailand.
The delegation is led by Pramila Devi Shakya Bajracharya, Secretary at the Ministry of Water Supply. Organized by the International Water Association (IWA), the conference and exhibition began on Monday and includes a total of 47 Nepali participants representing the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector, including experts, policymakers, and researchers.
On the second day of the event, Secretary Shakya Bajracharya participated as a panelist in a high-level discussion session, sharing Nepal’s perspectives.
On Wednesday, the third day of the congress, Secretary Shakya is scheduled to take part in a meeting with the Chinese delegation to discuss Nepal’s water supply and sanitation status and challenges.
Also on Wednesday, Secretary Bajracharya will participate in a separate session focused on digital tools for evidence-based decision-making in citywide inclusive sanitation. The discussion is being organized by the Global Water & Sanitation Center (GWSC) under the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, in collaboration with Innovative Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
CWISAN Workshop to Be Held
On the final day of the event, a CWISAN workshop will take place on the theme “Moving Forward Together for Safe and Inclusive Sanitation: Challenges for the Alliance.” Secretary Pramila Devi Shakya Bajracharya will chair the workshop.
Kalanidhi Devkota, Executive Director of the Municipal Association of Nepal (MuAN), will serve as the panel moderator.
Speakers will include:
• Hezekiah Otieno Pireh, Head of Water and Sanitation Team, UN-Habitat Headquarters, Nairobi
• Representative from ITN-BUET on behalf of the FSM Network Bangladesh Secretariat
• Dhruv Mitra, Senior Urban Sanitation Specialist from dasra, representing the NFSSM Alliance India Secretariat.
Similarly, Narulal Chaudhary, General Secretary of MuAN and Mayor of Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City, will participate as a member of the Citywide Inclusive Sanitation Alliance Nepal (CWISAN).
Roshan Raj Shrestha, Deputy Director at the Gates Foundation (USA), will attend the workshop as a special invitee, according to Citywide Inclusive Sanitation Alliance Nepal (CWISAN).
The Water & Development Congress & Exhibition 2025 has been organized by the International Water Association (IWA) with the objective of fostering global knowledge exchange in the WASH sector. The event brings together experts, researchers, policymakers, development partners, and institutions from around the world to share innovations, research findings, lessons learned, and practical experiences.
The congress aims to strengthen water supply, sanitation, and hygiene systems in developing countries such as Nepal, India, and various African nations, while also exploring effective policies, practical models, and innovative solutions for system improvements.
More than 1,500 participants from over 60 countries are attending the event. The congress features active participation from government bodies, national and international NGOs, research institutions, universities, private-sector actors, and WASH experts.
