69th IAEA General Conference

Scientific Forum

Atoms for Water

16–17 September 2025
IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, Austria

Water is fundamental to human life, economic development, food security and environmental sustainability. Climate change, land use change, population growth, declining water quality, food and energy demands, and economic development affect the amount and distribution of water. Globally, approximately 3.8 trillion cubic metres of water are needed annually for drinking water, agriculture and food production, energy generation and economic development.  

Demand for freshwater is increasing by 64 billion cubic metres per year, and new mechanisms for generating potable water are needed. In this regard, nuclear energy is offering countries — in particular those in arid regions — a clean energy alternative to produce potable water through desalination. But water supply is globally uneven. Urgent and targeted action is needed to ensure that the world’s population has equitable and sustainable access to water in the coming decades. A sharp increase in extreme hydrological events such as severe flooding and drought over the last 50 years has impacted supply and accounts for an estimated $4.3 trillion in economic losses worldwide.  

The 2025 Scientific Forum aims to:

1. Showcase innovative ways of using nuclear sciences, not only to better understand the origin, amount, distribution and quality of our shared water resources, but also to support and implement practical solutions;
2. Foster partnerships and reflect on the importance of water as a global common good to be managed sustainably and equitably for all; and
3. Mobilize resources to support the adoption of nuclear methods and approaches that ensure global water sustainability.  

Participation and Registration

The Scientific Forum will be held as a physical event with the possibility of remote connection.

Registration for Members of GC Delegations attending in Person:

Participants from Member States, UN Specialized Agencies, IGOs and NGOs that are already registered as members of a delegation attending the 69th General Conference, are not required to register individually to attend the Forum and can access the event with their 69th General Conference badge.

Registration for all other Participants attending in Person:

If you are a member of an intergovernmental or non-governmental organization that does not have an official delegation registered for the General Conference GC69, please register here.

Persons wishing to follow the event virtually can do so via the live stream link, which will be made available on the Scientific Forum web page.

For further queries regarding the event send an email.

Persons who want to follow the presentations without actively participating in the Forum can do so via the Live Video Stream.