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The Water Research Commission( WRC) and the National Science and Technology Forum( NSTF) have over the years collaborated on water management solutions towards enhancing strategic dialogues on water security.

Dhesigen Naidoo, CEO of the WRC, stated that the Commission plays a strategic leadership role in water research, development and innovation, and the partnership with the NSTF demonstrates the need to move research into impact. He said the WRC – NSTF award will undeniably create a platform to honour and recognise outstanding achievements in water management that often go unnoticed and encourage the sector to be more pioneering.

The NSTF – South32 Awards take place annually, honouring and celebrating outstanding contributions to science, engineering, technology( SET) and innovation in South Africa. The awards have grown to be the largest and most prestigious public SET and innovation awards in South Africa and is a flagship project of the NSTF, in partnership with South32. The awards are endorsed and supported by the Department of Science and Technology( DST) and the Minister of Science and Technology is the official patron.

NSTF executive director Jansie Niehaus stated that with the water security challenges experienced in our country and globally, it is paramount to drive innovation in this space. She is pleased to have the WRC come on board and raise the profile of SET for water security through the NSTF – South32 Awards platform.

The new WRC – NSTF award seeks to give recognition to the following contributions:

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• Leadership in water research, development, and knowledge generation;

• Exceptional contributions towards informing and shaping the national water landscape through policy, decision-making, and legislative enhancements;

• Innovations that demonstrate sustainable solutions to water challenges in South Africa;

• Outstanding work in trans-disciplinary approaches and water projects towards the empowerment of communities; and

• Improved models for integrating water opportunities into entrepreneurship and new product developments that will have a positive impact on water management in South Africa.

Nominations are invited and the awards processes can be found online at http:// www. nstf. org. za / awards / u

The partnership will strive to identify and celebrate the excellent work being done in water research and innovation in South Africa. networking

40 Water Sewage & Effluent March / April 2017