Tunisian researcher Akissa Bahri has won the 2018 edition of the "Women in Water" award, thanks to her research in the water sector. The prize was awarded to her on September 15, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan, by the International Water Association.
Akissa Bahri is a researcher and professor at the National Agricultural Institute of Tunisia (INAT). She received the IWA Women in Water Award for her significant contribution to research in the water sector. The distinction confirms the excellence of her scientific career, which has led her in recent years to the development, recycling and management of water resources, the agricultural use of water and its impact on the environment. While the winner is an agricultural engineer at first, her scientific qualities and strong adaptability now allow her to lead a research laboratory on the sustainable management of water for agriculture. Akissa Bahri is very active and also coordinates the African Water Agency (an institution of the African Development Bank). She is also Director of Research at the National Research Institute for Rural Engineering (dubbed INRGREF in French) in Tunisia.
The International Water Association (IWA) is a global network of water professionals, covering all areas of the water cycle, from research to practise. The IWA has nearly 35,000 members, including individuals and legal entities, and some 50 relatively independent “specialised” working groups, which regularly organise international conferences. The three main areas of interest of the IWA are the production and distribution of drinking water, wastewater collection and treatment, and water resource management.
The IWA Women in Water Award is presented by a group of water cycle experts, which recognises and values women’s leadership in the water sector. In this way, the IWA rewards women who work in the water sector and who have had a significant impact on the development of the water industry. The IWA Women in Water Award also aims to encourage women to participate in water sector activities and to hold leadership positions. The prize is awarded every two years to the women of the world. In 2016, Rose Kaggwa from Uganda won. With Akissi Bahri, Africa can be proud of having kept the ball in its court for two successive editions.
Luchelle Feukeng
o, Japan, by the International Water Association.
