Online Awards Launch: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Water Research Commission (WRC)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa and the Water Research Commission (WRC) of South Africa entered into a partnership agreement which aims to fast track the development and promote the adoption of promising innovations in the water sector. In this regard, the two entities aim to collaborate to facilitate research and innovation sharing, co-creation, and promotion of access to water and sanitation for people in South Africa and the rest of the African continent. As South Africa implements various interventions to manage the spread of COVID 19, many remain unable to protect themselves through good hygiene practices. This is mostly due to a lack of basic water services, especially in rural and peri-urban areas. Furthermore, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlights Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

To kickstart the partnership agreement, UNDP and WRC launched a call for applications from local innovators developing technologies and/or solutions addressing South Africa’s water challenges; particularly those which have been exacerbated by the advent of COVID 19. The objective of this call is to accelerate the rate at which we address South Africa’s pressing water need and achieve progress on SDG 6. Since the call launched 36 applications were received from innovators within the South African water sector, including private businesses, academia, and NGOs. Following a short-listing of applications and an evaluation of the innovations by a panel of experts within the water sector during a technical pitch session, 7 applicants were selected to proceed to the next stage of the programme. This event aims to officially award the 7 selected applicants with the grants required to undertake in-field technology demonstrations and will signify the beginning of the next stage of product development.

Register for this event here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jQgdu8d6RaGTXLndCzi_vg