As we approach the final year of the CRCWSC, we are developing initiatives that best disseminate our outputs among our stakeholders, governments and the community at large.

We have accomplished a great deal through our collaboration over the eight years. A body of world-class work with international applicability has been established—new knowledge, alliances and practical case studies.

We’re thrilled to announce the world’s biggest event in urban drainage is coming to Melbourne next year, and we will be co-hosting the event alongside our colleagues at Monash University, the University of New South Wales, and The University of Melbourne. It is an opportunity to showcase our achievements to an international audience and to foster further international collaborations in advancing water sensitive cities in Australia and globally.

The 15th IWA/IAHR International Conference on Urban Drainage (ICUD) will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 6–11 September 2020.

The 2020 conference program is designed to showcase advancements in research and practice on urban drainage, and its contribution to greater sustainability, resilience and liveability in cities and towns. The conference, with its international audience, is an important forum for Australian practitioners to present their innovations in the integrated urban water management approach to transitioning cities and towns to water sensitive cities.

We will also get to learn from international practice and adaptation of similar sustainable urban drainage, low impact development and sponge city principles in responding to local hydrological, biophysical and institutional contexts. Stimulating presentations from keynote speakers, concurrent sessions, poster sessions, pre-conference workshops, technical tours and social networking events will fill the six-day schedule.

Our CEO, Professor Tony Wong, serves on the conference organising committee as a deputy chairman. He said: ‘Much of our concept development of water sensitive cities principles originated from water sensitive urban design for stormwater management in the early 1990s’.

Professor Wong led the establishment of the International Working Group on Water Sensitive Urban Design of the IWA/IAHR Joint Committee on Urban Drainage, currently co-chaired by CRCWSC Chief Research Officer Dr Briony Rogers and Associate Professor Megan Ferrally, both from Monash University.

‘It is indeed a great honour, after nearly 25 years, to have the opportunity to host an international conference where WSUD will be a prominent feature,’ Tony said.

Important dates

We’re letting you know all the key dates early, so you can participate fully in this important event:

20 January 2020           Call for extended abstracts opens

6 March 2020                Call for extended abstracts closes

1 May 2020                    Notification to authors

12 June 2020                 Early bird registration closes

Registration for the conference will open in March 2020. To make sure you receive all the latest news about the program, ticketing and accommodation when it is available, please register your interest here.

Valuable sponsorship and exhibition opportunities will be available at ICUD 2020.

The last ICUD was held in Prague in 2017 and attracted participants from around the world. We’re excited to welcome visitors to Melbourne, to showcase its achievements in urban drainage and innovative approaches to urban water management, including over 15,000 raingardens.

The 15th ICUD is proudly hosted by:

And supported by:

Last updated: 3rd Dec 2019