Plenary Speakers
Dr. Praveena Gangadharan
Dr. Praveena Gangadharan is Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad, India. Dr. Praveena is an expert in addressing complex challenges related to water quality, pollution control, and the intersection of engineering with public health. In addition to being an accomplished academic researcher, Dr. Praveena also holds a position as lead faculty at the Global Sanitation Centre of Excellence (GSCOE), IIT Palakkad, a center that was established with funding from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and HDFC Parivartan. Her expertise in the area of sanitation has been instrumental in shaping up the Centre in line with its proposed motto of clean sanitation through non sewered sanitation technologies. She provides technical support and mentoring to start-ups in the sanitation area by associating with the Technology Innovation Foundation of IIT Palakkad (TECHIN).
Dr. Praveena leads a dynamic research team dedicated to advancing solutions for pressing environmental issues. Her research in resource recovery from source-separated urine, innovative water and wastewater treatment technologies, etc., has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Praveena is a recipient of prestigious awards, including the Early Career Research (ECR) Award (2019), Magudam Award constituted by CNN News 18 (2017), Bhagyalakshmi and Krishna Iyengar Award (2017), Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award (2015), and Women Scientists Scheme-A (WOS-A) fellowship from Department of Science and Technology, India. Dr. Praveena also leads community-driven sanitation initiatives in underserved regions, demonstrating her dedication to equity and inclusivity.
Johann Lübbe
Johann is a Disruption Specialist in the Project Preparation Division at the DBSA. Here he is responsible for the identification, conceptualisation, design and development of innovative financial products, instruments and programmes aimed at addressing some of the infrastructure delivery and financing challenges in the water, energy, transportation, social and ICT sectors. Besides his passion for new product development, project preparation and creating bankable projects, he has a special interest and experience in the water sector, where he is currently working on a number of innovative funding solutions and programmes. Johann is currently leading the establishment of, and providing interim support to the Water Partnerships Office, which will house various standardised water sector programmes. Johann was also instrumental in the design of the Vumela Product which aims to assist municipalities to provide the bulk infrastructure necessary to unlock public and private driven property/housing/real estate developments.
Johann is a Professional Engineer and has been involved in the planning, preparation and development of various large scale infrastructure projects and programmes. Johann has a thorough understanding of the project finance, PPP and municipal environments and has gained valuable experience in the financial and legal aspects related to the structuring, financing, preparation and bankability of infrastructure projects.
Johann holds a Civil Engineering Degree from the University of Pretoria, a BCom(Law) Degree from Unisa and a Masters Degree in Development Finance Cum Laude from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. His research project for his Masters Degree was titled: “Project finance as a driver of economic growth in Africa”.
Dr. Joy Riungu
Dr. Joy Riungu holds PhD in Water and Sanitation Engineering , TU/UNESCO-IHE, Delft, and Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Management, JKUAT. She is the Director, Sanitation Research Institute, Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST).
Dr Riungu is an experienced researcher in sustainable sanitation (circular economy approach), and has widely published in this area. She has vast experience in on-site sanitation; technology development, testing and implementation and in particular within informal slum and peri-urban settlements. Her key flagship research projects are: Enabling the circular Economy for sanitation and Scaling up off grid sanitation.
As a partner of the Global Sanitation Graduate School, Dr Riungu is leading a capacity building project, in collaboration with IHE, Delft, and being implemented three Kenyan Universities. Within this project, Dr Riungu has partially sponsored 304 sanitation students spread across MSc, Diploma and Short Courses at MUST.
Dr Riungu received the 2013-2022 Alumni Award by IHE, Delft the Netherland, that recognises alumni who have made significant in sanitation sector (Alumna Dr Joy Nyawira Riungu of Kenya wins 2022 IHE Delft Alumni Award). Dr Riungu additionally received the 2023 Chancellors Resarch and Innovation Award, that recognizes individuals with community impactful research.
Dr Riungus’ intervention point is applying innovative sanitation technologies, to address the vast community sanitation challenges. for enhanced community non-sewered sanitation-Development and testing of cost-effective sanitation technologies for urban and peri-urban settlements.
Dr. Linda Strande
Dr. Linda Strande leads the research group MEWS: Management of Excreta, Wastewater and Sludge in Sandec, at Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology. Her focus is on urban resilience, climate mitigation, and globally relevant solutions for sustainable city-wide sanitation, through developing fundamental scientific knowledge, translating it to innovative, low-investment and high-accessibility technology solutions, and ensuring uptake of CWIS through implementation strategies.
Dr. Strande has been working in the WASH sector for over 20 years, has had research collaborations with local and international stakeholders from over 20 countries, and published over 60 international, refereed publications. She is passionate about mentoring upcoming generations of engineers and practitioners, and has had over 15,000 learners in her online course in faecal sludge management. She is a founding member of the SFD Promotion Initiative and FSM conferences, a contributor to the WHO Guidelines on Sanitation and Health, World Bank FSM Tools, and editor and author of the IWA publications Faecal Sludge Management: Systems Approach for Implementation and Operation, and Methods of Faecal Sludge Analysis. Her wide-ranging international experiences have given her a global perspective, and an ability to research and apply engineering fundamentals in complex, interdisciplinary situations.
Sylvain Usher
Sylvain Usher is an Electrical Engineer who graduated from the University of Quebec in Canada in the early eighties. He started is professional career in Côte d’Ivoire at the National Electricity Company as Energy and remote-control data transmission specialist. In 1999 he joined the National Water Company and started a new professional career in the Water and Sanitation sector and entered the African Water Association as Deputy Secretary General and since then developed is international career as a water specialist organizing capacity building programs for water utilities all around the African Continent.
Since 2004 Sylvain Usher is leading the Institution as the Executive Director of the African Water Association. He undertook various studies for institutions such as the European Union, African Development Bank, World Bank and facilitated various workshops and session during international conferences. Sylvain Usher facilitated dialogues with the African Development Bank on scaling up Water and Sanitation services with experts and water utilities CEOs. He developed a World Bank study on African rapidly growing urbanization and the challenges facing the water and sanitation utilities.
Sylvain Usher is member of numerous international water institutions and societies. Member of the Canadian Electrical Engineer Society, of the International Water Association, of the World Water Council, of the African Minister Council of Water (AMCOW) Technical Advisory Committee. Member of the M&E Committee of Experts for the implementation of the 2008 Sharm El Cheick African Union Heads of States Declaration Decision and Commitments, of the Global Water Partnership, the Global Water Operators Partnership Alliance Steering Committee, of the World Bank Task Force on Innovation Technology and the Africa Integrated Urban Water Management committee. Member and co-chair of the African International Task Force on Urban Sanitation, Member of the WB Sanitation and Water for All Initiative and Honorary member of the Spain Association of Water utilities and Supplier AFRE.
Sylvain Usher is a co-author of the African Water Association book on water and sanitation issues in the African continent “ L’Afrique et L’Eau” edited in February 2014.
Valerie Naidoo
Valerie Naidoo has PhD from the University of KwaZulu Natal, Department of Chemical Engineering and she has innovations industry experience through her work at Unilever (Africa, Middle East and Turkey). She is currently working at the Water Research Commission where she has gained significant experience in management of research, development and innovation projects in the field of wastewater systems and water innovations. She has professional association experience through her work in the Water Institute of Southern Africa as member, as well as Past President and Past Chair of the board of the 3000 member association.
Osward M. Chanda
Osward is the Director of the Water Development and Sanitation Department at the Africa Development Bank, responsible for a program portfolio of US$4.9 billion and the Africa Water Facility. He is a Civil Engineer, global player in the water sector, and fellow of the International Water Association, who has served on the World Water Council governing board.
Mr Chanda, has nearly 30 years’ work experience in policy dialogue and investment programming, of which 20 is at managerial level in water sector investment project design, portfolio management, development finance, utility regulation, institutional reforms, policy, and strategy development for public and private sector operations. Prior to joining the Bank, he garnered extensive experience as Director of the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council, Zambia’s autonomous water utility regulatory agency. He is passionate about socio-economic development and improving the quality of life of Africans, through sustainable water sector management and strengthened water security.