Our History
The Young Water Professionals is a programme of activities by the International Water Association (IWA) which was founded in 2005 to empower them within the Association and the water sector. Young members build their career in this network by connecting and contributing (with peers internationally and across generations) to the water sector, developing themselves professionally through workshops, special sessions, and support activities organised by and for YWPs, as well as gain the profile to start making an impact into the water sector.
The YWP-ZA (as a division of the Water Institute of Southern Africa) was established in South Africa in 2008 by a group of volunteers in response to the current water sector needs of the country and the African continent. This was in lieu of the growing global community of YWP country chapters under the IWA. In 2018, YWP-ZA celebrated its 10 year anniversary.