The African Water and Sanitation Association (AfWASA) has been working for nearly 45 years to address water-related challenges across the continent. In 2023, the association changed its name from the African Water Association (AfWA) to the African Water and Sanitation Association (AfWASA). Expanding its scope to include sanitation brings new tasks and challenges for the organisation at strategic, decision-making, and service-strengthening levels.
In Africa, sanitation typically refers to access to a toilet. Closed toilets (which do not always equate to flush toilets) are viewed as sources of faecal sludge that can be processed for resource recovery; however, the proper treatment of the resulting wastewater is given a lower priority than it should be from environmental and public health perspectives.
The Hungarian Water Partnership (HWP) actively contributes to broadening the interpretation of sanitation, developing and strengthening wastewater treatment services, setting discharge standards, and identifying alternative financing models. This involvement is facilitated by Dr Károly Kovács, President of HWP, through his membership on AfWASA’s Strategic and Technical Committee (STC).
As part of its expanded activities, AfWASA renewed its STC to ensure more effective and efficient operations. Dr Károly Kovács, President of HWP and majority owner of Pureco, is the only non-African member of this 25-person leadership body and actively contributes to its work.
In this capacity, he participated in the African Water and Sanitation Association (AfWASA) Strategic Technical Committee (STC) meeting and related plenary programs held in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital, from November 17–19. The three-day event focused on sustainable water resource management and strengthening water supply and sanitation services.
The AfWASA STC is not only a key forum for Africa but also a globally significant one. Hungarian water industry innovations, acknowledged by the UN as SDG acceleration actions - such as Septopure® and PurAID® - are now recognised internationally as bankable and investor-friendly solutions.
Dr. Károly Kovács’ active role
During the event, he undertook several key professional tasks:
- Delivered a presentation on the bankability of water infrastructure development projects, showcasing UN-recognized Hungarian technologies for wastewater treatment (Septopure®, for 100% treatment of collected faecal sludge) and drinking water purification (PurAID®, a modular, long-life system based on regenerable adsorbents), which can attract private investors.
- Moderated the sanitation panel discussion and presented the International Water Association (IWA) film on faecal sludge treatment technologies and case studies to reinforce the global recognition of Septopure®.
- Actively contributed to the research, development, and innovation panel, addressing regulatory, communication, and social aspects of faecal sludge (FS).
- Participated in the alternative financing panel, emphasising the need to move toward consumer-centric solutions identified by the UN, due to their rapid return and bankability.
- Delivered a closing summary speech at the final plenary session.
The event’s closing statement reaffirmed strategic directions for Africa’s water and sanitation sector, focusing on integrated water management, digitalisation, sustainable financing, and capacity building.
It also laid the groundwork for the 2026 AfWASA International Congress, scheduled for February 9–13, 2026, in Yaoundé. HWP will attend with a dedicated delegation, not only as participants but also as speakers and panellists, playing an active role in this global professional dialogue.
Yaoundé Vibes
Thanks to Dr Kovács’ active participation in the STC forum, these three days were highly successful for us. Our regional presence strengthened, several concrete business opportunities emerged, new professional collaborations have began, and we gained reinforced support among AfWASA leadership. We are poised to play a key role in developing discharge limits and regulations for faecal sludge in the future.
