Early focus on water strategies for the twenty-first century: IWRA as an interdisciplinary forerunner*

As one of the persons present at the launch of IWRA in Chicago in 1973 and one of the first set of governors of the association, my more active contribution to IWRA’s history was concentrated in the 1980s and 1990s. The 1985 board discussions were concerned about shrinking membership, and needed to clarify “what IWRA can do better than other scientific organizations.” In the early 1980s, the issue before the IWRA board was “to create good arguments for [members] to stay” in the association after having become members as participants at one of the congresses. What the board stressed was in particular the need to penetrate the implications of the futuristic approach which the board thought could really distinguish IWRA from other associations. This paper has its focus on the different activities generated and some conclusions that could be drawn.