The International Water Association (IWA) is very pleased to announce its 2024 appointment of new IWA Fellows and Distinguished Fellows (DFs). This marks recognition of these water professionals by their peers for sustained outstanding contributions to the sector and for advancing the IWA mission of creating a water-wise world, enhancing societal well-being, and protecting the environment. The IWA Board of Directors confirmed seven new IWA Distinguished Fellows and twenty-eight new IWA Fellows.

Recognition as an IWA Fellow or Distinguished Fellow (DF) represents a high honour bestowed upon an individual by the Association. IWA Fellows and DFs are members of a unique community comprising global water professionals with international recognition, known for their guidance and leadership in the world of water science, technology and management in the evolving water sector. The 2024 IWA Fellows and Distinguished Fellows were honoured during the inaugural community meeting of the IWA Fellows and Distinguished Fellows, held in August during the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition in Toronto.

2024 IWA Distinguished Fellows

The IWA Distinguished Fellows are outstanding water professionals, recognised for their unique contributions to advancing water science and management and to supporting the IWA’s mission and objectives.

Michael Storey is a trusted leader and advisor in the water industry, with over 25 years of experience across both public and private sectors. He has held positions at the Board, Executive, and Senior Management levels and is well-versed in corporate strategy and planning, customer service, research, and innovation. A passionate water industry professional, he has worked across all aspects of the local and international water sectors. Michael has extensive experience in water quality and public health, customer experience, and human-centered design, and he has successfully led and managed change in highly regulated environments. He is also a university lecturer and has made over 350 peer-reviewed publications and presentations at both local and international levels, including workshops and conferences up to the Prime Ministerial level.

Professor Hu Jiangyong is the Director of the Environmental Science and Engineering Program, the Research Cluster in Environmental Protection and Sustainability, and the Centre for Water Research in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the National University of Singapore. She specialises in water treatment and water reclamation. Professor Hu has published around 170 papers in various international journals and has served as chair or co-president at several international conferences. She is an editor, associate editor, guest editor, and editorial board member for various journals. She has represented Singapore in the IWA Governing Assembly and served as an IWA ASPIRE Council Member. Currently, she is the President of the Environmental Engineering Society of Singapore (EESS), Chair of the IWA Specialist Group on Assessment and Control of Hazardous Substances in Water (ACHSW), and a Board Member of the International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA). She is a Fellow of both the International Water Association (IWA) and the Institute of Engineers Singapore. She has received several accolades, including the ProSPER.Net-Scopus Asia-Pacific Young Scientist Award in 2009 and the Best Environmental Practice Green Apple Award in 2016.”

Dr. Harsha Ratnaweera has been a Professor in water and wastewater technology at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, since 2012. Before NMBU, he was the Director of International Projects and Innovation and in service for 20 years at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research. He holds a PhD degree in Civil Engineering (1992) from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology NTNU and an MSc (Hons) in Chemical Engineering (1987) from the National Technical University of Ukraine KPI, Ukraine. Prof. Ratnaweera’s research areas are surveillance, modelling, control and optimising water and wastewater processes. Prof. Ratnaweera is a member of the Board of Directors of IWA and a board member of the IWA-Norwegian chapter. He is the Vice President of the European Water Association. He has served as Chairman and Board Member in several water and environment-related organisations in Norway. He has worked as a consultant to the World Bank, UNECE, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NORAD, and SIDA. Prof. Ratnaweera initiated and led several international projects and initiated the global educational and research network Water Harmony (www.waternorway.org) in 2012. At present, it has 100 universities from 54 countries.

Jo Burgess is an environmental scientist with more than 20 years’ experience in the water, environment and wastewater sectors. At Isle, she is responsible for the Trial Reservoirs, international initiatives that aim to mitigate climate change, enable progress towards the circular economy, and support environmental justice. Prior to joining Isle, Jo held roles as a researcher and research manager. She has proven experience in research and development of new technologies. Her work at the academic / industrial interface has been recognised through ten international awards (such as the Royal Academy of Engineers, Society of Chemical Industry and Institute of Chemical Engineers). Her work has involved academic, public sector and private sector partners. Jo is a former director on the board of ROCKBlue, a non-profit NGO that supports utilities in Africa with good governance and financial management. She was the 2014-2016 chair of the board of the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) and remained a director of the company until 2019. She is a previous chair of the WISA Mine Water Division, and a Distinguished Fellow of the International Water Association (IWA). She is also a Member of the Royal Society (RSSAf), and the founding president of the IWA / WISA South African Young Water Professionals, an organisation which now numbers its members in the thousands. Jo is currently an editor for the journal, Water Science and Technology (IWA Publishing).

Professor Dragan Savić is an international water and digital transformation expert, advisor and business leader with over 40 years of experience in engineering technology, academia and consultancy. Throughout his diverse roles as CEO, Director, Non-Executive Director and academic, he has contributed to the strategic development of organisations, fostered patentable innovations and facilitated the growth of spinout companies. Beyond his innovation and leadership acumen, he is recognised for bridging scientific knowledge with practical applications in the broader water sector and utilities. With his extensive expertise, experience, and reputation, Prof. Savić is a sought-after expert, a popular coach, teacher and engaging public speaker.

Norbert Jardin has been with Ruhrverband since 1995. For nearly 20 years, he led the Planning Department, overseeing all planning activities related to wastewater treatment plants and urban drainage. In 2016, he was appointed Chief Technology Officer and joined the Executive Board. Since 2019, he has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Ruhrverband. Norbert has also been a lecturer at the Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany for over twenty years, where he has held an Honorary Professorship since 2007. He studied Civil Engineering in Karlsruhe, Darmstadt, and Stanford (USA) and earned a doctorate in Civil Engineering from the Darmstadt University of Technology. Since 1990, Norbert Jardin has published more than 120 articles in national and international journals and delivered over 150 oral presentations at various conferences. He served for eight years as a member of the IWA International Programme Committee and also as a director on the IWA Board of Directors. Additionally, he is a member of several technical committees within the German Association for Water, Wastewater, and Waste (DWA) and the Chair of the IWA Specialist Group on Design, Operation, and Costs of Large Wastewater Treatment Plants.”

Prof. Emeritus Mooyoung Han, also known as Dr. Rain, has been serving as the Chairman of Rainwater Harvesting and Management. He has published over 50 SCI papers on rainwater and authored a textbook on the hydrological design method for multi-purpose decentralized rainwater management. He has organized seven international workshops on rainwater and three IWA International Conferences on Rainwater Harvesting and Management (RWMH). Recently, he launched the ‘Rain City Initiative,’ which aims to encourage cities to collect rainwater instead of draining it, through regulations and financial incentives. The initiative’s slogan is ‘Rainwater Revolution: From Drain City to Rain City by Training Brain Citizens.’ Another of his initiatives is the establishment of the ‘International Youth Rainwater Network,’ which seeks to create a global network for engaging youth in various activities related to rainwater, spanning scientific, cultural, and artistic fields.

2024 IWA Fellows

The IWA Fellows are recognised professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the national and regional water sector, as well as to IWA. In alphabetical order:

With these new appointments in 2024, IWA advances its mission to address the urgent water and environmental challenges our world is facing. IWA members can follow the IWA Fellows and IWA Distinguished Fellows using the links above on IWA Connect Plus, the global platform of water professionals!

The IWA would like to congratulate the incoming Fellows and Distinguished Fellows! Check out the photos of the IWA Fellows and Distinguished Fellows Meeting and Reception here. 

About the IWA Fellowships

The IWA Fellows appointment recognises sustained outstanding contribution of an experienced water professional to the national and regional water sector, as well as to IWA. Their nomination is initially for a period of 5 years and their role is to support IWA’s mission and leadership in the implementation of the organisation’s Strategic Plan, promoting IWA, supporting the network’s growth, and increasing the engagement of its members.

The Distinguished Fellows designation is an honorific recognition limited in number, and is for IWA Fellows (and a restricted number of other professionals) who have been recognised for their long-term (at least 10 year) extraordinary contributions to the global water sector and leadership role performed in supporting IWA’s mission and objectives. Distinguished Fellows are appointed for life and their role is to support IWA’s mission and leadership in the implementation of the organisation’s Strategic Plan of IWA at international level to advance the aims and reputation.