The Water Research Commission received the prestigious 2016 Water Award at the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s 10th anniversary gala dinner last week.

The award recognised the commission’s contribution for a better understanding of the environment and its outstanding work in South Africa in the field of sustainable water resource, water supply and sanitation.

The CEO of the Water Research Commission (WRC) Dhesigen Naidoo received the prize, handed HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, on behalf of the government and people of South Africa.

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation was created by the prince in 2006 and is dedicated to environmental protection, sustainable development and focuses on climate change, biodiversity and water.

In 2008, the foundation developed its awards program to honour key international figures and organisations for their exemplary work within its three priority domains of action. It also offers a tribune for raising awareness, supporting courageous ideas and recognising the work accomplished.

During his acceptance speech Naidoo noted that the global deficit on access to safe water, according to UNICEF’s latest figures, is 9% or 663 million people, and dignified sanitation stands at 32% or 2.4 billion people. He added that South Africa has signed up to the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 with the target of universal access to safe water and improved sanitation by 2030.

The WRC, together with its partners in South Africa, Africa and the world has committed itself to be the research, development and innovation partners to make this possible.

“We, as a globally community must use this thin end of the wedge opportunity to invest in a leap-frogging strategy, facilitating a greener, more climate friendly water and sanitation revolution. One characterised by fit-for-purpose water use encouraging reuse and recycling, point of use and decentralised treatment solutions with concomitant energy production, dry sanitation, and waste beneficiation,” said Naidoo.

“This has the real potential of low or even no external energy input moving us collectively to a lower carbon economy. This is done with a genuine belief that what happens in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia in the next 15 years will determine the character of the global carbon economy for the rest of the 21st century.

It will fundamentally determine the climate change scenario of the century and beyond. Africa is on route to become the highest populated continent by 2050, 70% of whom will be urbanites and, at least half of them will live in 50 megacities that don’t currently exist. This is an amazing greenfields opportunity.”

Naidoo expressed the WRC’s sincere gratitude for both this recognition and opportunity to share with the world what we consider a vital toolbox to ensure a greener more climate friendly, a greater biodiversity, sustainable future.