Jayant (Jay) Bhagwan, is the Executive Manager of the key strategic area of Water Use and Waste Management at the South African Water Research Commission, which focuses on the management of water and wastewater in the Domestic, Mining and Industrial sector.

He has been instrumental in raising the global attention on faecal sludge management and non-sewered sanitation of which he is the chair of the IWA Specialist Group on NSS.

He completed his Masters Degree in Tropical Public Health Engineering from Leeds University, UK.  With his knowledge and experienced gained in implementation of water and sanitation projects, he has played and participated in the shaping of national water policy and legislation.

He held the posts of the President of the Water Institute of Southern Africa, Chairperson of the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry Water Advisory Committee, as well as international advisory positions with the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, IWA- Global Development Agency and UNEP.  He continues to be actively involved globally in a broad range of areas in the field of water supply, wastewater and sanitation, with current focus being on sanitation technologies for the future, technology innovation and application, social franchising of O&M, conduit hydropower, benchmarking, reuse and reclamation of effluents.  He has contributed to raising the sanitation profile, and has been instrumental in pioneering the FSM conference series as well the NSS concepts.