WDSA/CCWI 2026

Special Sessions

WDSA/CCWI 2026 participants can organize Special Sessions on topics addressing a specific challenge of scientific or industrial interest. We also invite experts in Horizon Europe networks and clusters to present their results.

Deadline for proposing Special Sessions is 7 November 2025.

Instructions

  • Complete the Special Sessions Form: https://forms.office.com/e/R9VPDgWa8G
  • The Conference Organizers will update the abstract submission system and the website to include the invited session information. Besides the quality check, there is no formal review procedure.

Obligations

  • The Special Session Organizing team is responsible for the organization, including the promotion of the session, inviting experts to submit their contributions, and managing the review process, following the general conference procedures.
  • Special Sessions should have at least five (5) submissions.
  • The session organizers may propose a different format for the session presentations (e.g., presentations and panel discussion).

For any questions, please contact the Special Sessions Chair Dr. Demetrios Eliades ([email protected])

Special Sessions Form (online): https://forms.office.com/e/R9VPDgWa8G

List of Special Sessions

If you are interested in submitting to a Special Session, you may contact the organizers directly. In any case, during the upload process (https://www.wdsa-ccwi2026.ucy.ac.cy/call-for-papers/), you can indicate whether you would like the paper to be considered under a specific special session.

During the submission phase, authors should clearly indicate that the abstract should be considered for the appropriate special session. A dedicated reviewing procedure will be followed for special session abstracts.

#1 Industrial Track

  • Co-Chair: Orazio Giustolisi, Full Professor, Politecnico di Bari, Italy ([email protected])
  • Co-Chair: Daniele B. Laucelli, Full Professor in Water Engineering, Politecnico di Bari, Italy ([email protected])
  • Co-Chair: Luigi Berardi, Full Professor of Water Engineering at Engineering and Geology Department of University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti Pescara, Italy ([email protected])
  • Co-Chair: Juan Saldarriaga, Professor. Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Hydraulic Engineering area. Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia ([email protected])

A dedicated industrial track will be organized to facilitate the involvement of researchers, professionals, and water utilities that are interested in digital water solutions and innovations for change management, as well as introducing new challenges for the academic community. Interested professionals and researchers can submit a short abstract by following the same procedure as other participants (https://www.wdsa-ccwi2026.ucy.ac.cy/call-for-papers/).

#2 Interconnected water-energy systems optimal operations

The water and energy sectors are deeply interdependent: water utilities are among the largest energy consumers in municipalities, and energy generation often relies on water for cooling, processing, and conveyance. As both sectors face increasing pressure from population growth, decarbonization targets, aging infrastructure, and climate extremes, their joint optimization has become a critical research frontier. Achieving sustainable and resilient operation requires integrated frameworks that couple hydraulic and electrical dynamics, enabling system operators to co-manage pumping, storage, and energy resources in real time.

This session focuses on the emerging methodologies, tools, and field demonstrations advancing optimal water-energy operations. Topics of interest include control and optimization frameworks for pump scheduling, digital twins and real-time sensing, renewable energy integration, demand response, and energy storage coordination. Contributions that address uncertainties, cyber-physical security, distributed optimization, and resilience assessment are particularly encouraged. The discussion will highlight how integrated water-energy optimization can transform utilities into active participants in the smart grid era, moving from energy consumers to flexible, data-driven assets contributing to urban sustainability and resilience.

#3 Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence in Water Systems: Towards Explainable, Causal, and Physics-Grounded Models

This session aims to gather contributions addressing the development of trustworthy AI methods for water systems. By integrating principles of explainability, causality, and physical consistency, the session seeks to highlight approaches that ensure AI reliability, transparency, and ethical alignment. Topics include XAI, causal inference, physics-informed learning, bias correction, and the validation of hybrid digital twins for operational decision support in urban water systems.

#4 Advances in Water Quality Monitoring, Forecasting, and Management through Earth Observation and AI

Water quality management is a key challenge for resilient and sustainable water systems. Traditional monitoring relies on sparse in-situ measurements within networks, treatment facilities, and surface waters, often leading to delays in detecting contamination or ecological degradation.

Recent advances in Earth Observation (EO), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Twin (DT) technologies are reshaping how water quality is monitored, forecasted, and managed. By leveraging EO data, hydrodynamic and water quality models, and data-driven decision-support or risk-assessment frameworks (individually or in combination), these tools enable faster anomaly detection, predictive control of treatment processes, and more informed decision-making in both surface and drinking-water systems.

This Special Session will bring together researchers, practitioners, and technology providers to explore how EO datasets (e.g., Copernicus Sentinel-2, UAVs) can be combined with AI, DT, and DSS frameworks to detect, forecast, and manage water-quality hazards and treatment performance. Topics include:

  • AI-driven detection and forecasting of mine effluents, and other pollution plumes using EO data.
  • Integration of EO with hydrodynamic and water-quality models, enhanced by machine learning or data assimilation, for predictive assessment.
  • Combining AI with EO and in-situ sensing, and linking results with digital platforms to automate anomaly detection, provide early warning, and support operational decisions.
  • Development of hybrid DTs that integrate physics-based models, machine learning, and Explainable AI to improve monitoring and optimization of water-treatment processes.
  • Integration of AI, in-situ, and robotic sensing systems for real-time, multi-scale monitoring and DT-based decision support in urban water management.
  • Case studies from EU projects and industrial pilots demonstrating EO-, AI-, and DT-based applications for water-quality monitoring and treatment optimization.

#5 Smart Water Modelling & Analytics: Insights from Asian Network Cases

This special session spotlights novel engineering methods that integrate physics-based hydraulics with data-driven analytics to operate, secure, and optimize modern water distribution systems, with a particular emphasis on real-world applications and network cases across Asia. We welcome contributions on (i) hydraulic model calibration, uncertainty quantification, and digital-twin operations; (ii) AMI/SCADA analytics for demand profiling, forecasting, and minimum-night-flow (MNF) benchmarking; (iii) anomaly detection and localization, including hidden pipe leaks and operational transients, using rule-based, statistical, and machine-learning approaches; (iv) sensor placement and monitoring design under uncertainty constraints; (v) optimization of pumps/valves and pressure management with energy–water trade-offs; and (vi) resilience and security of cyber-physical water networks under data limitations common in developing regions.

Emphasis is placed on utility-driven studies, reproducible methodologies, and comparative insights from diverse Asian contexts, aiming to bridge the gap between research prototypes and field implementation. Submissions that integrate multi-modal data (e.g., flow/pressure, AMI, acoustic, water-quality) and first-principles models (e.g., hybrid digital twins, physics-informed machine learning) are especially encouraged. The session seeks to consolidate regional expertise and present practical techniques and evidence demonstrating how smart water grid modelling and analytics can enhance the reliability, safety, and sustainability of urban water services across Asia.

#6 ICT4WATER cluster- Showcases from selected projects

The ICT4WATER cluster (founded in 2012-supervised by the EU) is a cluster of around 85 EU-funded projects related to Digital Water. It is organised in six thematic Action Groups (Data interoperability, Intelligent and Smart Systems, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Citizen Awareness and Engagement, Policies and Business Models). Starting in 2018 (first edition), the ICT4WATER cluster publishes an updated version of the “Digital Water Services Action Plan”, which includes recommendations, research gaps and related actions for the EU.

#7 From inland to ocean: Levering Digital Twins to deal with climate change

Digital Twin represents a transformative approach in addressing climate change impacts across the water continuum, from inland waters to the ocean. These virtual replicas of physical systems enable real-time monitoring, predictive modeling, and scenario testing that are crucial for climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. By integrating data from sensors, satellites, and IoT devices, Digital Twins can create dynamic, interactive models that simulate complex environmental processes, allowing stakeholders and end-users to visualize and understand the cascading effects of climate change on fresh water, marine, and maritime environments. The power of Digital Twins lies in their ability to bridge the gap between inland and ocean systems, recognizing that these environments are intrinsically connected through hydrological cycles and ecological networks. The session centered on the theme “From inland to ocean: Levering Digital Twins to deal with climate change”. It focused on research findings that bridge freshwaters, marine, and maritime environments. Key topics included exploring synergies between Digital Twins for inland waters, EDITO, and Destination Earth initiatives. The Technological Core Assessment of Digital Twin Systems in Inland Waters will be examined to enhance and refine a generic reference architecture. Additionally, the session addresses stakeholder engagement throughout all phases of Digital Twin definition. The potential impact of Large Language Models and machine-learning-based approaches for mapping requirements and supporting informed decision-making will also be explored. Finally, the session will present recommendations for updating EU-level water policy and governance directives.

#8 From Lab-to-Field and from Field-to-Lab: Experimental pathways for next-generation urban water systems

  • Session Chair: Prof. Christos Makropoulos, Professor, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece, [email protected]
  • Co-Chair: Dr. Demetrios Eliades, Research Assistant Professor, KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence, University of Cyprus, Cyprus, [email protected]
  • Co-Chair: Dr. Panagiotis Kossieris, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece, [email protected]
Designing the next generation of smart, sustainable, and resilient urban water systems requires a strong evidence-based foundation to complement numerical modelling and digital innovation. Water Distribution Network (WDN) laboratories—from bench-scale rigs to full-scale pilot facilities—offer controlled yet realistic environments to test, refine, and validate new technologies, control strategies, and operational concepts before field deployment. The true value of these laboratories lies in their bidirectional link with real systems: laboratory insights guide real-world applications (laboratory-to-field transfer), while field challenges and data inspire new experiments (field-to-laboratory feedback). This continuous exchange fosters innovation, validation, and implementation, enhancing the resilience and intelligence of water networks.
However, sustaining and advancing such infrastructures poses scientific, technical, and organisational challenges, including scalability, realistic boundary conditions, data interoperability, long-term funding, and the transferability of findings to operational contexts.
This session invites researchers, utilities, and technology providers to explore how experimental WDN infrastructures drive the evolution of adaptive, data-informed water systems.
Key themes & topics:
• Design, operation, and instrumentation of WDN laboratories and pilot networks
• Laboratory-to-field transfer and real-world validation
• Field-to-laboratory feedback and replication of field phenomena
• Experimental studies on hydraulics, transients, leakage, and water quality
• Sensor testing, calibration, and uncertainty quantification
• Educational and training roles of WDN testbeds
The session aims to (a) highlight the scientific, educational, and operational value of WDN facilities; (b) promote collaboration among labs, utilities, and developers; and (c) define a forward-looking agenda for effective lab–field integration toward resilient, intelligent water systems.