THE University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and the Water Research Commission (WRC) have launched a five-year strategic partnership to strengthen research, development and innovation (RDI) in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
Implemented by the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Research and Development Centre (WASH R&D Centre), the partnership aims to accelerate sustainable and inclusive sanitation solutions for South Africa and beyond. This forms part of a long-standing collaboration focused on applied research, human capital development, innovation scale-up and knowledge dissemination across the water sector.
South Africa faces increasing pressure on water and sanitation systems due to climate change, rapid urbanisation and infrastructure constraints. Against this backdrop, the WRC-UKZN partnership seeks to play a catalytic role in advancing water-efficient sanitation systems, non-sewered sanitation technologies, wastewater reuse and circular economy approaches that improve dignity, resilience and service delivery – particularly in underserved communities.
Dr Jennifer Molwantwa, chief executive officer of the Water Research Commission, highlighted the strategic importance of the partnership in enabling national scale-up of innovation. She said: “This partnership strengthens the link between science, innovation and implementation. By positioning the UKZN WASH R&D Centre as a strategic extension of the WRC’s research ecosystem, we are deliberately investing in solutions that can be validated, derisked and scaled to support South Africa’s sanitation and water security goals.”
The WRC has committed a substantial amount of funding over five years, with co-funding from UKZN, to support collaborative initiatives including postgraduate training, curriculum development for short courses, capacity building for practitioners and municipalities, innovation extension services, and joint knowledge dissemination activities. The partnership is overseen by a Joint Steering Committee comprising representatives from both institutions.
Professor Anil Chuturgoon, deputy vice-chancellor for Research and Innovation, emphasised the University’s commitment to transdisciplinary, impact-driven research and developing innovative solutions to address pressing water challenges in the province and country, saying: “The WASH R&D Centre embodies UKZN’s vision of engaged scholarship. Through this partnership with the WRC, we are strengthening our ability to generate practical, policy-relevant solutions while training the next generation of water and sanitation professionals for South Africa, the continent and the world.”
Formerly known as the Pollution Research Group, the UKZN WASH R&D Centre has a strong track record in sanitation technology testing, decentralised wastewater systems, faecal sludge management and socio-technical research. Its work supports evidence-based policy, regulatory development and the adoption of innovative sanitation technologies by municipalities and industry.
The partnership aligns with national priorities, including the National Development Plan and Sustainable Development Goal 6, and reinforces a shared commitment to transforming the water sector through inclusive, science-led and collaborative innovation.
The WASH R&D Centre (formerly the Pollution Research Group) was formed in 1971 and is a professional research centre in Chemical Engineering at the Howard College Campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) which has grown to become a significant role player in the water and sanitation field in South Africa.
The Water Research Commission provides the country with applied knowledge and water-related innovation, by continuously translating needs into research ideas and, in turn, transferring research results and disseminating knowledge and new technology-based products and processes to end-users.
