Global interest in water has increased rapidly in recent years. Many water issues are high on the political agenda, whether it concerns the lack of access to safe water and sanitation or the increase in water‐related disasters due to floods and droughts.

This challenge must be addressed by management and policy decisions informed by science and engineering knowledge that is relevant, credible, legitimate and delivered in a timely manner. Therefore the discipline of hydro-environment engineering and research is more important than ever. The 38th IAHR World Congress will bring together the key players in the sector from around the globe in “Water – Connecting the World“, from 1-6 September 2019 in Panama.