This year focus area will be (Cost Recovery at water and wastewater utilities: Achievements, Challenges and Solutions). The following is a selection of key themes which the Scientific Committee is seeking contributions; papers addressing these issues from the Arab Region and international water community are welcomed and encouraged.

Conference key themes

1. Cost recovery and utilities strategic planning
2. Best practices in cost recovery at utilities: an option or a must?
3. Cost recovery and tariff restructuring: any water left for the poor?
4. Sustainable utility management: cost recovery implementation and obstacles.
   

Below are list of topics which also help find the appropriate theme for your paper and assist matching it with appropriate reviewers:

• Utility experience and best practices in achieving full cost recovery.
• Utility case studies in improved cost recovery.
• Optimizing tariffs through effective relationships with local government.
• Tariff restructuring as a tool for cost recovery.
• Institutional restructuring to improve cost recovery.
• Policies for achieving full cost recovery.
• Utilities water demand management and cost recovery.
• Cost recovery models and information systems.
• Capacity Building as an Effective Tool for Cost Recovery.
• Establishing strong accounting, recordkeeping and billing procedures.
• Developing innovative measures to reduce non-revenue water.
• Improving customer-oriented services and staff incentives.
• The social dimension of full cost recovery: ensuring access to water services for the poor.
• Next steps for achieving improved cost recovery.
• Cost recovery through energy management and energy efficiency.
• Customer information system benefits for cost recovery.
• Asset Management and cost recovery.
• Subsidies and overseas development assistance and micro-credits.
• Operation and maintenance efficiency to improve cost recovery.
• Cost recovery and city planning.
• Optimal chemical use and cost recovery.
• Private Sector Participation (PSP) and Public Private Partnership (PPP).

We invite you to submit a paper!

IWA International Stream
As part of the Arab Water Week program, the International Water Association (IWA) will be organizing an international stream to bring global perspectives and best practices to the program. Themes to be presented and discussed by internationally renowned experts include: Sustainable cost recovery, operation and maintenance of water systems and performance based contracts.