IWA Water and Development Awards 2025 presented in Bangkok

Three pioneering water sector professionals have received the 2025 IWA Water and Development Award, with their awards being presented by IWA President Hamanth Kasan on 8 December during the Opening Ceremony of the Water and Development Congress & Exhibition held in Bangkok, Thailand.

The IWA Water and Development Awards recognise excellence, leadership and innovation in the water sector, with a particular focus on encouraging contributions to the sustainable management of water in low- and middle-income countries. There are two award categories – one for Research and one for Practice, each judged by a panel of experts. They are awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to research or practice that have led to demonstrable impact in low- and middle-income countries.  

Evan Thomas received the 2025 IWA Water and Development Award for Research. He was honoured for pioneering the integration of research, technology, and enterprise to deliver sustainable water security for millions.  

As Director of the Mortenson Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, Founder and CEO of Virridy, and Vice Chair of the Millennium Water Alliance, Professor Evan Thomas has combined scientific innovation with social impact. He developed models linking water delivery in low- and middle-income countries to carbon finance, generating over 45 million carbon credits and expanding access to safe water for at least five million people. His real-time water quality monitoring technologies, including the first fully integrated internet-connected faecal risk sensor, have set new standards for transparency. Through global partnerships, he has redefined how engineering, finance, and policy can achieve scalable improvements in public health and climate resilience.

Meera Mehta and Jayant Bhagwan both received the 2025 IWA Water and Development Award for Practice.  

Professor Meera Mehta was honoured for her pioneering leadership in transforming water and sanitation governance and finance in low- and middle-income countries.

Over her five-decade career, she developed India’s Service Level Benchmarks and the Performance Assessment System, now used in over 800 cities to improve WASH services for more than 115 million people. Her innovative financing models, including municipal bonds, microfinance, and performance-linked sanitation funding, have expanded access for low-income communities and strengthened accountability. At CEPT University’s Centre for Water and Sanitation, she has built lasting institutional capacity and advanced evidence-based policymaking in the sector.

Jay Bhagwan was recognised for his leadership in advancing non-sewered sanitation (NSS) innovation through the Water Research Commission’s South African Sanitation Technology Enterprise Programme (SASTEP).

Under his direction, SASTEP has transformed the national sanitation landscape by localising, commercialising, and scaling safe, sustainable, and climate-resilient off-grid systems. The programme has provided dignified sanitation for over 46,000 users, influenced national regulations to include ISO 30500 standards, and built a thriving innovation ecosystem supporting local enterprises and jobs. Dr Bhagwan’s work has been instrumental in positioning South Africa as a global leader in NSS, shaping international standards and inspiring replication across Africa and beyond.

Pictured:

IWA President Hamanth Kasan and the three 2025 IWA Water and Development Award winners. L to R: Evan Thomas, Meera Mehta, Hamanth Kasan, and Jay Bhagwan.

Watch the event video highlights at:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6u1Pjpf8O0ab2rnwFbijfwWCMZRE-RxV