The International Desalination Association (IDA) has issued a call for papers for its World Congress 2013 – Desalination: A Promise for the Future which will take place in China.

The event will take place on 20‑25 October 2013 in Tianjin, 120 km southeast of Beijing and the largest center of industry and trade in China.

Co-chaired by Khoo Teng Chye and Professor Wang Shi Chang – two pioneers in the global desalination community – the Technical Program is expected to attract record interest. Khoo is executive director of the Centre for Liveable Cities, Ministry of National Development, Singapore, while Wang is director of the Desalination & Membrane Technology Center at Tianjin University.

Extended abstracts will be accepted from 15 July 2012 and must be received by 1 October 2012.

The Technical Program will feature the most extensive range of topics ever presented at an IDA World Congress. Tracks include the following:

The Governance and Finance of Desalination, including sessions on:

  • Successful Public- Private Partnerships (PPPs)
  • Financing Models and Sources
  • Risk Assessment and Management
  • The Economics and Pricing of Water
  • Regulatory Issues and Institutional Policies
  • Sustainable Desalination: Environmental Responsibility and Adapting to Climate Change, including:

  • Innovation for Environmental Sustainability
  • Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
  • Brine Management
  • Integrated Water Resource Management
  • Environment and Public Health
  • Intake/Outfall Design
  • Wastewater Reuse
  • Effective and Efficient Operations, including:

  • The Energy-Water-Waste Nexus
  • Waste Reduction or Reuse
  • Energy Sources, Efficiency and Recovery
  • Optimization of Pre- and Post-Treatment Systems
  • Analytical Tools and Models for Process Optimization
  • Innovative Desalination Technologies, including:

  • Leading-edge Technologies for the Future
  • Advanced Membrane Technologies
  • Innovative Thermal Processes
  • Alternative Desalination Processes
  • New Frontiers in Applications of Desalination Technologies
  • Desalination Culture and Heritage, including:

  • The Pioneers of Desalination: Their Achievements and Influence
  • The History and Origins of Desalination Technologies
  • Landmark Conferences, Publications, Patents and Innovation
  • Industrial Archaeology
  • The Role of Government and Associations
  • A more extensive list and description of these topics will be available on the IDA website.