People
Pay Drechsel wins 2015 IWA Development Award
Scientist honored for work on wastewater and resource reuse in agriculture
Food waste was a prominent theme at the General Assembly. The United Nations
agreed to set an unprecedented goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030.
as animal feed, and desserts consisting of coffee cherry
pulp, cocoa bean shells and leftover nut skins.
The menu was created by award-winning chef Dan Barber
and the former executive director of first lady Michelle
Obama’s anti-obesity campaign, Sam Kass.
We Care Solar is awarded US$1 million United
Nations Energy Grant to expand the use of lifesaving Solar Suitcase
This recognition is a fantastic
acknowledgment of more than a
decade of research Pay Drechsel,
IWMI’s research theme leader for
Resource Recovery, Water Quality
and Health, has won the 2015
International Water Association’s
Development Award for Research.
Pay Drechsel
The award was presented at the
opening ceremony of the IWA’s
Development Congress and Exhibition in Amman, Jordan
on October 18.
Drechsel’s research has played an important role in
developing options for safe wastewater use in countries
where treatment capacities are low and informal
wastewater irrigation is common. His studies continue to
explore the importance of irrigated urban and peri-urban
agriculture for food security in cities.
The award recognizes his long track record in research
which has contributed to the development of low-cost
safety options along the farm to fork pathway. This
work directly supported the World Health Organization’s
multi-barrier concept for safe wastewater irrigation, as
has been acknowledged by Robert Bos, the former WHO
Coordinator of Water, Sanitation and Health.
German by birth, Drechsel graduated as environmental
scientist from the University of Bayreuth and started his
career as consultant in Africa. He then became as research
coordinator for the continent at the International Board
of Soil Research and Management (IBSRAM), being first
based in Bangkok and then Ghana where he opened the
organization’s Africa office.
The first ever US$1 million UN-DESA Energy Grant has
been awarded to We Care Solar, a non-profit organization,
to enhance and expand the use of its ‘Solar Suitcase’. By
making solar power simple, accessible and affordable,
this device allows for the provision of electricity for
medical procedures during childbirth in many developing
countries, helping to avoid life-threatening complications
for mothers and children.
“The United Nations is shining a light on an area that
has all too often been overlooked - the lack of reliable
electricity in health facilities” said Dr. Laura Stachel, cofounder of We Care Solar, after receiving the award. “I
have had the privilege of working with hundreds of health
workers who have seen the miracle of light and power
in saving lives, and we have much more work to do. This
award is the beginning of a brighter future for women
everywhere. No Woman should die giving life.” she said.
After IWMI incorporated IBSRAM in 2001, Drechsel
worked as its sub-regional representative, expanding the
number of IWMI staff in Ghana from five to over thirty.
In 2005 he became a research division leader. During
his 11 years in West Africa, Drechsel comprehensively
analyzed the links between rural-urban food demands and
the urban footprint. Given the high density of irrigating
farmers in in and around cities, he was particularly
interested in the pollution of water bodies and consequent
food safety risks. This work influenced legislation in
Ghana including national strategies, development plans
and policies, as well as several international water reuse
guidelines and their supplements produced by WHO,
FAO and USEPA/USAID. His work on safe wastewater
management was also one of several highlights cited
in 2012 award of the Stockholm Water Prize to the
International Water Management Institute.
Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • November - December 2015
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