Keynote speakers

Kala Vairavamoorthy is an internationally recognised water resource management expert, with particular expertise in urban water issues. He combines a strong engineering background with practical international experience. He has published extensively and has a strong international profile working closely with the World Bank, UN-Habitat, UNESCO, GWP, SIWI and the EU. This includes leading several urban water management projects for the World Bank, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank and DFID.

Prior to joining the International Water Association, he was the Deputy Director General for Research at the International Water Management Institute. Kala was also the Founding Dean of the Patel College of Global Sustainability and a tenured Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, at the University of South Florida (USA). Prior to that he was a full professor and Chair of Water Engineering at the University of Birmingham (UK), and Professor and Head of Core of Sustainable Urban Water Infrastructure Systems at UNESCO-IHE (Netherlands). He is currently Professor (adjunct) at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM).

Kala has a PhD and MSc in Environmental Engineering from Imperial College, University of London, UK and a BSc (Hons) from King’s College, London.

Geoff engages in the strategic direction of Ecolab’s water and energy related innovation with a particular emphasis on the water-energy-productivity nexus. He has 34 years direct experience in industrial water management including sales, project management, auditing, research & development and technical training. He has been involved in the design, optimisation and troubleshooting of many key utility processes across a variety of industries including manufacturing, power production and the petrochemical sector.

Geoff is also actively involved in Ecolab’s sustainable development initiatives, especially in water stewardship and decarbonization. He initiated and continues to support the industrial affiliation and applied research activities at KAUST, KSA. Since 2017, Geoff has led Water Europe’s Cluster Theme ‘Water Smart Industry’ and he now chairs their Water-Smart Industries Community of Practice. He also engages with NGOs to lessen industrial impacts on vulnerable river basins (e.g. Lake Taihu, China). He represented the Netherlands in the development of ISO14046 “Water footprint – Principles, requirements and guidelines”. Dr Townsend has a BSc (Hons) in Ecology (UEA) and a PhD in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Cambridge.

Christophe Lasseur, born and now retired in Normandy, was for 35 years staff of the European Space Agency, where he successively was: research fellow, Life Support engineer, head of MELiSSA project, Coordinator of life support development, Certified Astronaut instructor and for 12 years Head of the International Life support working group aiming to coordinate NASA, ESA, JAXA, RSA, CSA life support activities. He owns a PhD in bioengineering from Compiegne university, and received a doctor honoris Causa from Antwerpen university. He is the first non-American since 1944 to have received the Jeffries award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Aerospace.

Kees Maarschalk has joined Royal Avebe in 2017 and is currently Science Director. He focuses on scientific and technological developments with special emphasis on innovation, sustainability and value creation from starch potatoes. He is active in projects around water use, extraction of ingredients from potatoes and starch conversions. Before Kees joined Avebe he had roles in R&D in different food and pharmaceutical companies. He also was a teacher at the University of Groningen.

Rick Hogeboom, PhD, leads the Water Footprint Network, a non-profit knowledge center that seeks to use the water footprint concept to promote science-based water stewardship practices in public and private policy worldwide. He is also Associate Professor in Multidisciplinary Water Management at the University of Twente, the Netherlands, where he studies how natural and socio-economic processes affect water resources, and vice versa. In this dual capacity, Rick works with various actors, from multilaterals and multinationals to local communities and civil society, to move the needle on water.

Ruizhe Pei is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vienna. He earned his PhD from TU Delft in collaboration with Wetsus. Trained as an environmental engineer, his work combines microbial ecology and environmental biotechnology to advance sustainable wastewater treatment and resource recovery. Beyond the lab, he serves as the founding Chair of the IWA YWP Switzerland Chapter and represents YWP on the management committee of the IWA Resource Recovery Cluster. He is also actively engaged in science communication and outreach, with particular enthusiasm for engaging younger generations.

My name is Hanneke Spijkerboer, and I work as a corporate sustainability water specialist at Aviko, where I am working on the future of industrial water use by connecting technology and strategy. With my physical-chemical background in molecular life sciences and the broad development I have undergone during the Nationaal Water Traineeship, I enjoy working at the intersection of operational processes, policy, and technological innovation. In my role I work on water reuse, water treatment, and water reduction, and I am committed to solutions that both strengthen the industry and contribute to a future-proof water sector. As a Young Water Professional, I strongly believe in collaboration and circular thinking as drivers of real change.

Eva IJzermans is a water strategy consultant for Industry at Haskoning, specializing in water strategy, water stewardship, and circular water systems. She works at the interface of industry, policy, and science, supporting organizations across the globe in addressing water scarcity, quality challenges, and regulatory pressures. Eva has experience translating complex methodologies into practical strategies for industrial clients, in several sectors. Her work focuses on developing actionable water roadmaps, identifying sustainable water solutions, and embedding water into broader business strategy and value chains. With a strong interest in bridging ambition and implementation, Eva is passionate about empowering organizations and young professionals to accelerate the transition towards more resilient and sustainable industrial water management.

Pooja Halvawala is a Research and Development Engineer at Lenntech, specializing in applied research for industrial process-water challenges. With five years of hands-on experience and a foundation in water treatment technologies, her work focusses on advanced water treatment technologies – especially pressure driven and electrochemical processes – to turn complex industry needs to practical solutions. Passionate about circularity, reuse, and recycling, Pooja contributes to efficient water treatment strategies across diverse industrial sectors, with a strong focus on water and salt recovery, brine minimization, and the recovery of valuable chemicals. She focuses on turning research findings into practical improvements for industrial water treatment. Outside of work, Pooja enjoys strength training at the gym, exploring nutrition, and dancing.