World-wide half a million people die each year due to drowning. To address this 
global problem, experts from all around the world from institutions and organisations 
involved in water safety gathered at the World Congress on Drowning in Amsterdam, 
the Netherlands, 26-28 June, 2002. The congress was attended by over 550 experts 
world-wide and can be considered the largest convention of experts in this area.

The program included many interactive activities such as courses, expert meetings, 
discussion sessions, poster sessions and demonstrations.
Nine task-forces were established in 1997 with the aim of defining recommendations 
to reduce the number of drowning victims and to improve the outcome of the 
respective casualties. The recommendations were extensively discussed by experts 
during meetings at the congress. International organisations have been informed 
about the recommendations and are advised to include the recommendations in 
their action plans for the future. 

At the end of 2005, the initiators of the project (the Maatschappij tot Redding van Drenkelingen, established in 1767) would like to know if the initiative has created new activities and concerted actions within related organisations. Based on this evaluation, a new initiative may be taken to give the involved experts, institutions and organisations the opportunity and facilities to meet each other again.

The existing knowledge in the field of drowning prevention, rescue and treatment is 
collected in a Handbook on Drowning that will be published in 2004.

The press release issued at the close of the congress is available in English.