IAHR-Spain Water Conference | Celebrating 25 years of IAHR presence in Spain
Presentation of the new SPAIN Water-IAHR Agreement 2026-2030-2034

Technical Session. Innovation in the water sector: digitalization and Artificial Intelligence

Date: Tuesday 17 March 2026 (9:30-17:00 h)
Location: CEDEX Centre for Hydrographic Studies, Paseo Bajo de la Virgen del Puerto 3, 28005 Madrid. Map.
Registration is free until full capacity is reached

Introduction  Programme  Contact  In Spanish Registration form

 Introduction

This conference is organised to mark two milestones: the celebration of 25 years of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR) in Spain—located since 2001 in CEDEX Centre for Hydrographic Studies—and the presentation of a new collaboration agreement between IAHR and SPAIN WATER (CEDEX, the General Directorate for Water, and the General Directorate for the Coast and the Sea). The day will conclude with a technical session dedicated to innovation in the inland and marine water sectors.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary, participants will include the Directors General for Water and for the Coast and the Sea, the Director of CEDEX, and two former directors of CEDEX who promoted and executed the move of IAHR to Spain from the Netherlands (where it had been based since 1935). Additionally, several past IAHR Presidents from the last 25 years, the former Executive Director, and the Secretary General of the IAHR office at the Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR) in Beijing will participate, alongside high-ranking officials from water sector entities that have supported IAHR.

The new IAHR-SPAIN WATER Agreement for 2026 to 2030, with a possible extension to 2034, continues the partnership that began in 2001 when the Association moved from the Delft Hydraulics Institute (now Deltares) in the Netherlands to CEDEX in Madrid. It represents the will of both parties to continue collaborating on the dissemination of science and technology in inland and marine water matters both nationally and internationally. This new agreement remains open to the inclusion of other Spanish public or private entities through corresponding addenda.

The technical session is designed with a focus on the future of water, considering two innovative themes currently emerging in the sector: Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. These will be discussed in the context of climate change, energy transition, water security and quality, and resilience against disasters caused by the excess or lack of water, such as floods and droughts.

Both topics will be treated from the perspective of their current status and their multiple potentials within the hydro-environment.

Leading Spanish and international speakers will present their visions and share experiences that have already been carried out or are under development. 

 Programme 

OPENING (9:30 – 10:00 h)
Áurea Perucho Martínez. Director of CEDEX
Mª Dolores Pascual Vallés. Director General for Water
Ana Oñoro Valenciano. Director General for the Coast and the Sea  
Philippe Gourbesville. IAHR President

PRESENTATION OF THE NEW IAHR - SPAIN WATER AGREEMENT 2026-2030-2034 (10:00 - 10:30 h)
Áurea Perucho Martínez. Director of CEDEX
Mª Dolores Pascual Vallés. Director General for Water 
Ana Oñoro Valenciano. Director General for the Coast and the Sea
Philippe Gourbesville. IAHR President
Moderator: Tom Soo. IAHR Executive Director

XXV ANNIVERSARY OF IAHR IN SPAIN (10:30 - 11:30 h)
Felipe Martínez Martínez. Former Director of CEDEX and promoter of the move of IAHR from the Netherlands to Spain
Manuel Martín Antón. Former Director of CEDEX  and signatory, in 2001, of the first agreement with IAHR
Etienne Mansard. Canada. Former President of IAHR (2003-2007) 
Christopher B. George. Former Executive Director of IAHR (1999-2018)
Emily Wang. IAHR Secretary General
José María Grassa. CEDEX. Former IAHR Council Member
David López. CEDEX. Vice-President of the IAHR Spanish Chapter
Representative from IAHR Spain Young Professional Network
Amparo López. UPV. Former IAHR Vice President
Elsa Incio. Manager Madrid Office Global Secretariat
Moderator: Ramón Mª Gutiérrez Serret. IAHR Secretary General

COFFEE BREAK (11:30 - 12:00 h)

TECHNICAL SESSION ON INNOVATION IN THE WATER SECTOR: DIGITALIZATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (12:00 - 17:00 h)
Evolution of Numerical Modelling in Hydraulics (12:00 - 12:20 h)
David López. CEDEX. 

Digital Transformation & AI for Water Sector: challenges and major trends (12:20 - 12:40 h)
Philippe Gourbesville. IAHR President

The digitalization of the coast and sea in Spain: 25 years developing solutions for its public management and protection (12:40 -13:00 h)
Ana Lloret. Director of CEDEX Centre for Harbours and Coastal Studies

Hydroinformatics Approaches to Water Systems: Modelling, Decision Support and Nature-Based Solutions (13:00 - 13:20 h)
Ioana Popescu. IHE Delft (The Netherlands) and Vice President of IAHR in Europe

Discussion (13:20 - 14:00 h)
Moderated by: Ana García Fletcher. Deputy Director for Coastal Protection. General Directorate for the Coast and the Sea

LUNCH BREAK (14:00 – 15:00 h)

TECHNICAL SESSION ON INNOVATION IN THE WATER SECTOR: DIGITALIZATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PART II  (15:00 – 17:00 h)
Decision support systems for integrated water management: Segura River Basin (15:00 – 15:20 h)
Ángel Bautista Yáñez. Head of Infrastructure Security Service (DSIEX). General Directorate for Water 

Opportunities and threats of digital transformation in the urban water sector (15:20 – 15:40 h)
Gabriele Freni. Università Di Enna Kore (Italy) and Past Chair of IAHR Technical Committee on Hydroinformatics 

Integrated decision-making system for the management of the maritime-terrestrial public domain, in a context of climate change and socio-economic transformation (15:40 – 16:00 h)

Ana García Fletcher. Deputy Director for Coastal Protection. General Directorate for the Coast and the Sea

Digital twins and artificial intelligence in the urban water cycle (16:00 – 16:20 h)
Antonio Lastra. Head of Innovation Development. Canal de Isabel II

Discussion (16:20 – 16:50 h)
Moderated by: Tomás Sancho Marco. Deputy Director General for Public Domain and Infraestructure. General Directorate for Water

CLOSING (16:50 – 17:00 h)
Conchita Marcuello Olona. International Affairs Coordinator. General Directorate for Water  
Ana García Fletcher. Deputy Director for Coastal Protection. General Directorate for the Coast and the Sea 
Federico Estrada Lorenzo. Director of CEDEX Centre for Hydrographic Studies
Tom Soo. IAHR Executive Director 

 Organization

IAHR and Spain Water (CEDEX, the General Directorate for Water and the General Directorate for the Coast and the Sea).

 Contact

IAHR Global Secretariat. Paseo Bajo Virgen del Puerto, 3.
28005 Madrid. Spain.
Tel: +34 91 335 79 08
Email: iahr@iahr.org