International science leaders gathered at the 19th World Water Congress in Marrakech, Morocco, in December to share emerging research and solutions to global water security and water quality challenges.

Faculty and administrators from Texas A&M AgriLife, Texas A&M University College of Engineering, Texas A&M University School of Law and Texas A&M University Division of Research hosted more than 10 special sessions and roundtables, and contributed to several presentations. The gathering welcomed over 1,200 participants from more than 80 countries. They included 30 ministers and ministry delegations, representatives of the United Nations, and personnel from many international agencies.

The congress is hosted by the International Water Resources Association, IWRA.

A row of seven people in suits standing in a row in front of a 12-foot-high screen bearing the name of the 2025 World Water Congress and logos of its organizers
Rabi Mohtar, Ph.D. (far left), co-chair of the 18th World Water Congress, stands with host Nizar Baraka, minister of equipment and water in Morocco (center), at the opening ceremonies. Mohtar moderated the event’s ministerial roundtable, hosted by Baraka, and Mohtar read a ministerial declaration on behalf of all 18 member states in attendance. The ministry will share the declaration with the United Nations water conference in 2026. (International Water Resources Association)

Rabi Mohtar, Ph.D., is a professor in the Texas A&M Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M, and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station. He serves as the IWRA vice president and co-chair of the World Water Congress, leading the International Scientific Committee that oversees technical content.

“Over 20 Texas A&M leadership and faculty significantly contributed in designing the technical program, conducting high-level special sessions in the water system science and policy areas,” Mohtar said. “This shows global leadership and commitments to one of the most pressing challenges of our time.”

“Our participants from across campus were a strong reflection of the interdisciplinary scope of water research,” said Henry Fadamiro, Ph.D., Texas A&M associate vice president for research. “The congress was an opportunity to showcase the strength and global leadership of Texas A&M University in the water-energy-food-health nexus.”

Affordable and safe water sources for communities

Giovanni Piccinni, Ph.D., director of the Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, and professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, moderated a special session on the safety and affordability of water sources for communities — a major topic at the event.

Water safety and affordability are significant challenges in Texas and other parts of the world, where water resources are dwindling, and populations are growing.  

The special session, “Unlocking New Water Frontiers: Exploring Opportunities and Risks of Alternative Sources for Agriculture and Urban Use,” included Texas A&M AgriLife experts presenting research and analyses.

The Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences experts were: Allen Berthold, Ph.D., TWRI associate director, Bryan-College Station; Katie Lewis, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research soil chemistry and fertility scientist and professor, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Lubbock; and Joseph Burke, Ph.D., AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service cropping system agronomy and weed scientist and assistant professor, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Lubbock.

“AgriLife Research is proud to have had a strong presence at the congress and to contribute solutions that address one of the world’s most pressing challenges—water security,” said Amir Ibrahim, Ph.D., AgriLife Research associate director and chief scientific officer, and associate dean for research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “This presence reflects a commitment to science-driven innovation and global collaboration to ensure sustainable water resources for agriculture and communities.”

Additional presenters were Maria Michela Dell’Anna, Ph.D., of DICATECh, Bari, Italy, and Vinay Nangia, Ph.D., of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Rabat, Morocco. And, Rosario Sanchez, Ph.D., TWRI senior research scientist, Bryan-College Station, presented at a special session titled “The Future of Transboundary Aquifers Management Under Legal Uncertainty,” organized by the International Association for Water Law.

“Water is a shared resource that unites people across the globe, and the congress provided an invaluable platform for collaborating on the pressing challenges all nations face in managing it sustainably,” Piccinni said.

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