Eng. Ivan Ivanov is President of the Bulgarian Water Association (BWA), a leading
professional organisation uniting experts, institutions, academia, and companies across
Bulgaria’s water sector. He consistently promotes the sustainable management of water
resources, the modernisation of infrastructure, the development of professional
capacity, and the exchange of best European practice. He leads and contributes to a
range of international projects in environmental protection, in particular water
management, including Tethys, Danube Water Balance, BOOST-IN, UDIH 4 EU,
WATERVILL, and InnoWATCCH, among others, with a focus on digitalisation,
sustainable development, and resource efficiency.
He has over 25 years of professional experience in the water sector, having held senior
expert and management positions within key public and international organisations. His
career has been closely associated with the governance of water infrastructure, the
modernisation of utility services, and the implementation of advanced managerial and
technological solutions. He has served as Procurator of Sofiyska Voda AD, part of
Veolia, Chair of the Board of Directors of Bulgarian Water and Sewerage Holding EAD,
Manager of the “Dams and Cascades” enterprise at NEK, and Executive Director of the
non-profit organisation Industrial Cluster Underground Infrastructure (ICPI).
He holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Chemical
Technology and Metallurgy (UCTM) in Sofia. He is a graduate of the French Language
High School “Alphonse de Lamartine”. He also holds Master’s degrees in Business
Administration from the Francophone Institute of Administration and Management
(IFAG) in Sofia and from the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG). He undertook
specialised training at the National Higher Institute of Chemical Technology (ENSIGC) in
Toulouse, France.
Under his leadership, the Bulgarian Water Association has further consolidated its
position as a leading professional platform for the development of the water sector in
Bulgaria. He actively works to strengthen cooperation between institutions, water and
wastewater operators, academia, and industry, with a focus on efficient water resource
management, innovation uptake, and the enhancement of professional expertise across
the sector. He is the initiator of numerous professional forums, training programmes,
and international collaborations aimed at the exchange of knowledge and the
implementation of European policies and standards in the water sector.
He currently combines his role as President of the BWA with that of Director of the
Water and Sewerage Vocational Training Centre within the Association, where he
contributes to the training and professional qualification of specialists in the water
sector. He is Editor-in-Chief of BULAQUA magazine, the official BWA publication
dedicated to current developments, policy issues, and technological solutions in the
water sector. He is a member of the drinking water and wastewater working groups, as
well as the legal and economic affairs group of the European Federation of National
Associations of Water Services (EurEau). He also serves on the Board of Trustees of
the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy – Sofia and the Foundation for
the Development of the Water Sector, supporting the integration of education,
professional training, and practical sector development in Bulgaria’s water and
wastewater industry.