UKZN and Water Research Commission Launch Joint Sanitation Project Worth R25.7 m

UKZN and the Water Research Commission (WRC) have officially launched a five-year strategic partnership.

Facilitated by the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Research and Development Centre (WASH R&D Centre), the partnership will attract a total investment of more than R25.7 million over five years, with both parties matching their investments rand-for-rand.

As part of a long-standing collaboration focused on applied research, human capital development, innovation scale-up, and knowledge dissemination across the water sector, the project aims to accelerate the development of sustainable and inclusive sanitation solutions for South Africa and beyond.

Deputy Vice Chancellor of the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, Professor Fhatuwani Mudau, commented on the WASH R&D Centre’s strategic role in translating research into social impact, as South Africa faces increasing pressure on water and sanitation systems due to climate change, rapid urbanisation, and infrastructure constraints.

CEO of the WRC, Dr Jennifer Molwantwa, said the launch marked the culmination of three decades of work. She paid tribute to the founding father of the WASH R&D Centre (formerly known as the Pollution Research Group), the late Professor Chris Buckley, as well as key partners, including the Gates Foundation and the Department of Science and Innovation.

Looking ahead to the project’s outcomes over the next five years, Molwantwa emphasised the importance of continuous engagement to ensure a lasting legacy. “We must ensure that there is a tangible solution that reduces the waste of valuable water used to convey sewage. There will always be a need for food, and the challenge is how we convert sewage into value-added products that enhance and strengthen food security.”

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, Professor Anil Chuturgoon, said the University’s co-funding of the initiative demonstrated the seriousness with which it is being pursued. He added that, as the government shifts away from “ivory tower” research towards studies with tangible community impact, the Centre would serve as a valuable experimental model for UKZN.

Director of the WASH R&D Centre Professor Randhir Rawatlal said the unit was the product of ongoing engagements with the WRC and other partners. Rawatal highlighted the Centre’s significance as a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional initiative expected to attract interest through the development of coursework, research, and publications, as well as through innovation aimed at advancing water, sanitation, and hygiene in South Africa, across the African continent, and beyond.

Senior Research Manager at the WRC, Dr Valerie Naidoo, reflected on the ongoing water and sanitation challenges faced by underserved communities, noting that the realities were expected to drive the project’s research and innovation in a new direction.

Naidoo said the Memorandum of Agreement would support investment and partnership growth, establishing a leadership structure for a globally recognised Centre that restores dignity to underserved communities. Naidoo added that the Centre aimed to become a global lighthouse for water and sanitation and water-efficient sanitation systems, while shaping conversations around policy, standards, technologies, and innovation.

“The ultimate goal,” she said, “is to achieve a leading, financially sustainable WASH Centre that is globally recognised within the next five years.”

Words: Hlengiwe Khwela

Photograph: Kwanele Mndebele