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Prof Barbara Evans wins IWA 2017 Water and Development Award for Research

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Buenos Aires, Argentina (13 November 2017) – Two leading water innovators have been awarded the 2017 Water and Development Awards by the International Water Association. Working to deliver solutions to global water challenges, both have been recognised by the international water community for their outstanding contributions to the practice and science of water, which have improved the lives of millions of people in low- and middle-income countries.

Barbara Evans’ research has played a key role in developing effective strategies for securing safe access to water and sanitation, with a sustained attention to poor urban and rural communities. She has been awarded the IWA Water and Development Award for Research for increasing our understanding on community-wide approaches to tackle urban and rural water and sanitation challenges.

Marco Antonio Cevallos has shown how management vision can lead water utilities in emerging economies to deliver vastly improved services, even to the poorest in society. He is awarded the IWA Water and Development Award for Practice for instigating a new service paradigm that places greater emphasis on community engagement, resource stewardship, and investment decisions that consider the social, economic and environmental costs.

“The IWA Development Awards recognise excellence, leadership and innovation in the water sector, and aim to encourage the continued contribution to the sustainable management of water in low- and middle-income countries”, said Kalanithy Vairavamoorthy, Executive Director of the International Water Association. “Barbara Evans and Marco Antonio Cevallos have both made significant contributions to realising safe water and improved sanitation for millions of people.”

Barbara Evans said, “I am delighted and honoured to accept this award, which is particularly poignant in this year when we have lost three incredibly valued colleagues; Piers Cross, in whose memory the award is made, who was a wonderful boss and mentor as well as a dear colleague, Dr Jeroen Ensink of LSHTM and Professor Huw Taylor of the University of Brighton, all of whom made a huge contribution to the field of sanitation. Effective, sustainable, safely managed sanitation relies on complex systems of services, infrastructure and institutions, but is also a critical part of the wider system of city and rural management.”

My work is dedicated to the 4.5 billion people worldwide who lack access to safely managed sanitation. I am very excited to have the opportunity which this award brings to work with the IWA’s members, who play a vital role in WASH service delivery, to further develop our understanding of how to deliver the SDG target 6.2 of universal access to safely managed sanitation.

Marco Antonio Cevallos, said, “I am honored by this award, which only strengthens my commitment to improving water management for the people of Ecuador. Throughout my life working in water management, I have found that my efforts would be nothing if not for the amazing people on my team.  I share this award with them and look forward to continue reaching our goals together.”

Watch Prof Barbara Evans accept her IWA Development Award:

 

About the IWA Water and Development Award

The International Water Association is a global knowledge hub for water professionals and anyone concerned about the future of water. It has sixty-year heritage connecting water professionals worldwide to find solutions to the world’s water challenges as part of a broader sustainability agenda. As a non-profit organisation with members in more than 130 countries, the IWA connects scientists to practitioners and communities so that pioneering research delivers sustainable solutions. It further fosters technological innovation and drives best practice through international frameworks and standards.

The IWA Development Award is awarded by a panel of experts, and recognises outstanding contributions to research or practice that has led to demonstrable impact in low- and middle-income countries. It is awarded every two years at the IWA Water and Development Congress & Exhibition.

The 2017 awards were presented during the opening Ceremony of the IWA Water and Development Congress & Exhibition in Buenos Aires, on Monday 13 November 2017.