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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