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The International Water Association (IWA) is the leading network and global knowledge hub for all water professionals and anyone committed to the future of water.
With its legacy of over seventy years, it connects water professionals in more than 130 countries to find solutions to global water challenges as part of a broader sustainability agenda.
IWA also promotes and supports technological innovation and best practices through international frameworks and standards.
Become an IWA Member today to make a difference to the world of water.
The WRC was established in terms of the Water Research Act (Act No 34 of 1971), following a period of serious water shortage. It was deemed to be of national importance to generate new knowledge and to promote the country’s water research purposefully, owing to the view held that water would be one of South Africa’s most limiting factors in the 21st century. In 1971 when the WRC was founded, water research and development (R&D) in South Africa was limited to a few institutions and the funding level inadequate. There was no research co-ordination and an apparent neglect of some key research fields. In addition, there was little strategic direction or leadership that would provide for the identification of priority areas or appropriate technology transfer. It was to address these issues, that the WRC was established.