Water is a vital element for humans worldwide, yet access to clean drinking water and sanitation is still a challenge in many developing countries. This is why some celebrities are taking the issue to heart and making Water Sommelier their mission to bring attention to this global problem.
Mr Rajendra Singh
Mr. Rajendra Singh is a well-known water expert in India. He is the architect of Johads, which are structures that collect water from rainwater and distribute it to people in rural areas. He has built over 8,600 johads in Rajasthan and helps the citizens of his state get access to fresh water.
He is also the founder of Jal Bharat, a social enterprise that works towards restoring water in remote villages by constructing check dams and providing water to over 1,000 villages across the country. His work is widely appreciated and has won him several accolades.
Kumudavathi
His work has helped revive the Kumudavathi, Vedavathi, and Palar rivers of Karnataka. He is a geologist and has been studying these rivers for decades to understand the changing onset of seasons and has come up with innovative solutions to restore natural water in these rivers.
Biological Nutrient Removal technology
The Biological Nutrient Removal technology developed by Dr James Barnard is a revolutionary process for treating used water that has revolutionized the treatment of waste water. He was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew prize in Singapore for his innovation, and is an international expert in this area.
As an executive, he has led eThekwini Water and Sanitation in South Africa to provide a reliable source of drinking water for over 1.3 million residents, generating $520 million a year while reducing the rate of sewage disposal by 40 percent. He has also helped drive down water losses and is now traveling the world to share his knowledge and experience.
CEO of Zenon Environmental
A leader in membrane technologies for water management, he is the CEO of Zenon Environmental and has been recognized with the Stockholm Water Industry award and the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize. He is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Water and a former director of the UK Centre for Water Systems.
In addition to being a well-known water expert in the industry, Dr Benedek is a strategic business leader. He founded Zenon Environmental in 1980 and grew it to become a leading membrane technology company before selling it to GE. He is a member of the World Business Council on Water and an executive advisor to four multinational companies in the top 50 of the Fortune 500.
His expertise includes advising on water resource management in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. He has served as a consultant on many of the largest water projects in the region and his research is internationally recognised.
He is a co-author of the bestselling book, “An Aquatic World”, and has contributed chapters to numerous books on aquatic issues including “The Future of Water”. His articles have been published in numerous journals and his research interests include water quality, wastewater treatment, seawater desalination and the development of sustainable drinking water sources.