WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION

Their core work

The Water Research Commission is South Africa's national water research funding and knowledge body, mandated to coordinate water-related R&D across the country. In H2020, WRC serves as Africa's primary institutional bridge into European water research networks, contributing Southern Hemisphere perspectives on water scarcity, pollution, and ecosystem management. Their work spans the full water cycle — from drinking water treatment and distribution to aquatic ecosystem health, pollutant monitoring, and water reuse — with a strong emphasis on translating research into policy and practice for water-stressed regions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

WRC's early H2020 involvement (2015–2016) centered on water infrastructure fundamentals — distribution, treatment, desalination, flood and drought management — through JPI Water strategy implementation. From 2018 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward environmental health concerns: aquatic pollutants, antimicrobial resistance, ecosystem degradation, and biodiversity restoration. This trajectory mirrors a broader move from engineering-centric water management toward ecological and public health dimensions of water security.

WRC is moving from water supply engineering toward environmental and human health risks in water systems — expect future interest in One Health approaches, microplastics, and nature-based solutions.

How they like to work

WRC participates exclusively as a partner, never coordinating — consistent with their role as a national funding agency contributing domain expertise and African research network access rather than leading European consortia. With 89 unique partners across 40 countries, they operate as a high-connectivity node, rarely repeating the same consortium. This makes them an excellent gateway partner for any consortium needing Southern Hemisphere water research perspectives and African stakeholder networks.

WRC has collaborated with 89 distinct partners across 40 countries — an exceptionally wide network for just 6 projects, reflecting the broad ERA-NET cofund structure. Their reach extends well beyond Europe into Africa and the Global South, making them a uniquely positioned connector between continents.

What sets them apart

WRC is one of the very few African public bodies consistently embedded in H2020 water research. As South Africa's statutory water research coordinator, they bring both institutional authority and direct access to African water challenges — droughts, water quality in developing contexts, and climate adaptation needs that European labs cannot replicate. For any consortium needing Global South validation, field testing in water-stressed regions, or Africa-EU policy alignment, WRC is a rare and proven partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• AquaticPollutants
  Broadest thematic scope in WRC's portfolio — combines emerging pollutants, pathogens, and antimicrobial resistance across both freshwater and marine ecosystems.
• AfriAlliance
  Largest single EC contribution to WRC (EUR 123K) and the most strategically distinct project, building structured Africa-EU innovation alliances for water and climate.
• BiodivRestore
  Represents WRC's newest direction — ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation with transdisciplinary governance, running through 2026.