The Countdown for the 11th Balkans Joint Conference and Exhibition has already started!

The 11^th Balkans Joint Conference and Exhibition, “Accelerating Change: Towards Safe, Reliable and Sustainable Services”, which will take place on 7-9 November 2023, at Grand Blue Fafa Resort, Golem, Albania is just hours away, and we can’t wait to see you there!

The Organizing and Program Committees are pleased to share below some of the highlights of the event.

High Level Decision Makers and Distinguished Guests

The Conference Opening Ceremony on 7 November 2023 will be attended by High level decision makers and distinguished guests. Among others, Ms. Enkelejda Mucaj, Vice Minister, Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, Albania and H.E. Ruth Huber, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Swiss Embassy, Albania will deliver greeting remarks.

Launch of the Utility of the Future – Center of Excellence

The World Bank and Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), in partnership with SHUKALB and SHUKOS, will organize the launch ceremony of the Utility of the Future Center of Excellence (UoF-CoE), on 7^th of November, at 17:00 – 18:00, at Iliria conference room.

In 2019, the World Bank and its partners developed the Utility of the Future Program (UoF), an initiative designed to improve the performance of water and sanitation utilities. The UoF Program is growing rapidly, and to date has reached over 90 utilities in more than 35 countries. Now, the UoF Program is leaping to the next level, launching in the Western Balkans, the Utilities of the Future Centre of Excellence, a hub of knowledge, innovation, and collaboration, designed to unlock the full potential of water utilities and empower them to become the driving force to accelerate universal access to water and sanitation.

Pre-Conference Events on 7 November 2023

Workshop on “Balkan-German Experiences in the Field of Wastewater Purification and Sewage Sludge Utilization. Legal Requirements, Technologies, and Energy Efficiency (Open Activity by Registration)

The workshop is organized with the support and cooperation of the Bavarian Environment Agency, Germany.  The purpose of this workshop is to share the German experience regarding the operation and management of urban wastewater treatment plants. The target group to participate in the workshop are employees of wastewater treatment plants throughout Albania and Kosovo and young engineers in the water supply and sewerage sector.

Young Water Professionals Forum (Open Activity)

The Young Water Professionals Forum will provide an open platform for final year University students and Young Water Professionals (less than 35 years old), who work in various institutions in the water and wastewater sector. Young Water Professionals are welcome to join the Forum at no cost and learn about ways to develop their careers in the water sector, including education and further education opportunities at MSc or even PhD.

Regional Workshop of the Benchmarking Program for the Kosovo and Albania HUB (closed activity only by invitation)

The workshop will bring together participating utilities on UBP Hub for Kosovo & Albania to share their benchmarking practices for improving performance and to summarize the results of the current cycle of the UBP. Each utility participating in the Benchmarking Program will discuss their progress and present the areas where they can and would improve. The UBP HUB will provide practical support in validation of the data and finalizing their draft reports, in identifying gaps and opportunities for continuous improvement based on international standards and in comparing themselves with peers using the UBP.

Joint Meeting with Stakeholders on Capacity Development in the Water and Sanitation Services Sector in Albania and Kosovo (closed activity only by invitation)

The meeting organized jointly by the Water Supply and Sewerage Association of Albania (SHUKALB) and the Water Supply and Sewerage Association of Kosovo (SHUKOS) aims to facilitate the dialogue and ensure a better coordination among the stakeholders in the national level and regional level on capacity development measures carried out in the water and sanitation services sector in Albania and Kosovo. The meeting is organized in cooperation and with support from the project “Regional Capacity Development Network for Water and Sanitation Services (RCDN+)” and the Danube Learning Partnership, D-LeaP.

Conference Program

The Conference Program will combine plenary sessions, as well as technical parallel sessions, covering a broad and multi-dimensional number of topics from policy to technical, as well as management issues of the water sector.

The Conference will feature two keynote speakers.

The first day, Gustavo Saltiel, Global Lead for Water Supply and Sanitation, World Bank, USA, will deliver a keynote speech on “Policy, Institutional and Regulatory Reforms for Accelerating Change in Water Supply and Sanitation Services Delivery”.

The second day, Arne Gooss, Head of KfW Infrastructure for Western Balkan and Turkey, Sustainable Urban Development, KfW Banking Group, Germany, will deliver a keynote speech on “Financings in the Water Sector in WB-Countries: The Approach of German Development Bank KfW”.

The Conference program can be found in this LINK.

Social Event

The Social Event is planned to take place on Wednesday, 8 November 2023, from 19:30-23:00. The Social Event will be held at Aqua Lounge Bar & Restaurant, a place with its philosophy rooted in love and dedication to fine dining and magical and unforgettable celebrations. The venue is situated in the city of Durres, by the seaside.

All Conference participants are invited to enjoy the entertaining music and drinks and to socialize with each other, experiencing a memorable night. Organizers have arranged transportation by bus for participants, starting from the Grand Blue Fafa at 19:00 p.m..

Technical Exhibit

Participants will have the opportunity to visit the Technical Exhibition where 20 private companies will showcase their very latest products, from pipes, pumps, meters, software to engineering and management services. You can learn more about the exhibiting companies by visiting this link.

SHUKALB and SHUKOS Booth

As traditionally, SHUKALB and SHUKOS have arranged for a dedicated exhibit booth, where Conference participants will be able to find extensive information regarding each of the Associations, from information on membership to information and materials on their respective activities, with a highlight on training and capacity development opportunities.

If you haven’t registered yet, you can register on-site.

Come join us in celebrating the water sector at the Balkans Joint Conference and Exhibition!

We look forward to seeing you at the event!