Conference Format
Plenary lectures, keynote sessions, parallel technical sessions, special sessions, networking, exhibitions and social events.
28 June - 2 July 2027
Water Engineering in Bari
Hydraulic research and knowledge applications: driving change management in the era of digital water transitions.
Join the global water engineering community in Bari for the 42nd IAHR World Congress: five days of science, innovation, networking and dialogue on sustainability, resilience and digital transformation in the water sector.
Part of the broader Road to Bari process, the congress is designed as a destination for ideas, milestones and practical outcomes developed across the international IAHR community in the years leading up to 2027.
- 42nd editionA historic global congress series
- Digital waterA key enabler for sustainable transition
- Pre-congress events25-27 June 2027
Conference presentation video
A first look at the vision, destination and scientific ambition of IAHR World Congress 2027 in Bari.
Main Scientific Venue
The Nicolaus Hotel, Bari
Parallel sessions, meetings, exhibition and hospitality services.
Special Highlight
Opening ceremony & keynotes at Teatro Petruzzelli, one of Bari's iconic cultural landmarks.
About the congress
A global meeting point for water engineering
IAHR World Congress 2027 brings together researchers, practitioners, utilities, public authorities, consultants, technology providers and young professionals working across hydraulic and hydro-environment engineering.
Held in Bari under the patronage of the Italian Superior Council of Public Works, with the endorsement of Politecnico di Bari, University of Enna “Kore” and University of Chieti–Pescara “G. d’Annunzio”, and organized by CIC Sud., the congress is designed to promote scientific excellence while connecting research with real-world water challenges.
The conference theme places digital transition at the centre of change management for sustainability, showing how data, modelling, sensing, computation and human expertise can strengthen resilient and responsible water systems.
Conference pillars
Three priority pillars for water sustainability
In line with the IAHR strategic vision, the congress highlights digital transition as an enabling factor across climate, infrastructure and society. Scientific discussions are structured around three broad pillars and a set of interconnected sub-themes.
Adaptation, nature and hydro-environment
- Climate change adaptation
- Water and nature
- Hydro-environment engineering
Infrastructure, energy and society
- Hydropower and water-related renewable energy
- Inland water bodies
- Water engineering and society
- Irrigation, drainage and pollution control
- Large water infrastructures
Mitigation, urban water and coastal systems
- Climate change mitigation
- Urban and industrial water, water treatment
- Deltas, coastal and maritime engineering
Special focus
Digital transition for water sustainability
The congress positions digital transformation as more than a technology upgrade. It is a management and knowledge transition that combines data accessibility, computational power, modelling, monitoring and decision support with the central role of engineers, researchers and operators.
Long-standing legacy
A world congress with deep roots
IAHR has a long international history, with leadership and congress editions tracing back to the early twentieth century. Bari 2027 builds on that legacy as the 42nd IAHR World Congress, connecting past achievements with a new era of digital water transitions.
The congress series has convened the water engineering community across Europe, Asia, the Americas and beyond, making it one of the field's most established global forums.
Since 1935IAHR institutional history
19381st World Congress in Berlin
202742nd World Congress in Bari
Road to Bari
A two-year pathway from ideas to outcomes
Bari 2027 is not conceived as a standalone event. It is the destination of an international process that mobilises IAHR technical committees, working groups, regional divisions, cities, institutions and industry around shared water challenges and concrete deliverables.
Framework
Three action tracks for integrated impact
The Road to Bari framework links the congress scientific programme with a broader exchange among research, institutions and solution providers.
01Science, research and innovation
02Policy and institutions
03Industry, solutions and implementation
Shared questions
What challenges matter most?
The process asks every participating community to identify the main challenge in its field and define what it aims to achieve by Bari through sessions, white papers, panels, demonstrations and collaborative outputs.
Community involvement
Milestones across 2025 and 2026
Leadership teams progressively shape messages, choose formats, involve stakeholders, prepare contributions during specialised events and consolidate sessions and participants ahead of the congress.
Launch collaboration
Organisers and IAHR communities begin the coordinated journey toward Bari.
State the challenge
Communities define their challenge and contribution to the shared IAHR vision.
Define the formula
Keynotes, panels, white papers, monographs and other formats are aligned with the congress structure.
Involve stakeholders
Regional and specialist meetings connect policy, cities and industry to the scientific agenda.
Build the sessions
Contributions, participants and communication activities are consolidated ahead of Bari 2027.
Global framework
Cities and real-world water needs
The Road to Bari also includes a city-focused track that helps public authorities identify priority water issues, exchange practices peer-to-peer and connect operational needs with research and innovation.
This approach strengthens the bridge between hydro-environment engineering, policy making and implementable solutions, so that Bari becomes a place where ongoing work is presented with practical relevance and shared momentum.
Programme
Conference structure
The final programme will be announced in due course. The structure below reflects the classical format of a major international scientific congress and the proposal prepared for Bari 2027.
Pre-congress days
IAHR community meetings, Young Professional Network activities, city experiences and networking opportunities.
Opening day
Registration, opening ceremony, keynote programme and welcome events, including the Petruzzelli special session.
Core scientific programme
Parallel sessions, plenaries, invited talks, exhibition, side events and institutional meetings.
Water Next Generation Convention
Sessions shaped to strengthen connections among young researchers, professionals, institutions and industry.
Expected programme elements
- Opening and closing plenaries
- Keynote lectures
- Parallel technical sessions
- Special sessions and round tables
- Poster sessions
- Industry and exhibition area
- Young professionals activities
- Technical visits and social programme
Participation information
- Call for abstracts: to be announced
- Special session proposals: to be announced
- Registration opening: to be announced
- Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities: available on request
- Detailed technical tracks: to be confirmed with the international scientific structure
Venue & destination
Bari: a Mediterranean gateway for the global water community
Located in Apulia at the heart of the Mediterranean, Bari offers a compelling setting for a world congress focused on transition, connectivity and sustainability. The city links East and West, science and culture, infrastructure and landscape.
The congress proposal identifies The Nicolaus Hotel as the main venue for scientific sessions and meeting spaces, with capacity for plenary functions, multiple parallel rooms and hospitality services.
Bari also provides a strong cultural dimension, with seafront landmarks, historic districts, excellent rail and air connections, and access to the wider Apulian region.
Main congress venueThe Nicolaus Hotel
Opening ceremonyTeatro Petruzzelli
Airport accessBari Karol Wojtyla International Airport
Regional appealHistoric city, coast and Apulian hospitality
Featured cultural venue
Teatro Petruzzelli
A dedicated section for one of Bari's most iconic landmarks. The congress proposal highlights the Petruzzelli for opening ceremony and keynote moments, offering a memorable cultural frame for the event.
Travel
Easy access by air, rail, road and sea
- By air: Bari Karol Wojtyla International Airport with rail, shuttle, taxi and car rental connections.
- By rail: Bari Centrale links the city to major Italian destinations.
- By road: Convenient access via the A14 Autostrada Adriatica.
- By sea: Port of Bari connections to Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Mediterranean cruise routes.
Accommodation
Hospitality options for all participants
- The Nicolaus Hotel
- Hi Hotel Bari
- Villa Romanazzi Carducci
- Grande Albergo delle Nazioni
- Hotel Oriente
- Hotel Boston
- Hotel Excelsior
- Hotel Rondò
- Additional hotels and B&Bs across Bari
Organisers
Scientific and operational leadership
The scientific organisation is coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Bari, Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, Construction and Chemistry Sciences, together with the national organising network and the wider IAHR community.
Operational management and logistics are supported by CIC Sud - Centro Italiano Congressi, an experienced professional congress organiser with extensive national and international event expertise.
Why participate
Science, policy, industry and next generation talent
- Engage with leading-edge hydraulic and hydro-environment research
- Connect digital innovation to sustainable water management
- Meet practitioners, utilities, institutions and technology providers
- Support young researchers and the next generation of water engineers
Stay informed
Conference details will continue to evolve
This website concept is ready to host future updates on abstract submission, registration, committees, sponsorship, exhibitions, technical visits and the final scientific programme.