Dr. Jacqueline King is the Winner of the 2019 Stockholm Water Prize!

Dr. ‘Jackie’ King, in winning the Stockholm Water Prize for 2019, has also become the first scientist from Africa to win the prestigious prize, now in its 30th year, after starting off in 1991.  Add to that the fact that she is only the fourth  woman to win it individually, and the recognition is truly special.

The award, which recognises outstanding achievements in water related initiatives, has among other people, Rajendra Singh of India (2015), International Water Management Institute (Sri Lanka-2012), Bindeshwar Pathak for Sulabh Shauchalaya (2009), Madhav Atmaram Chitale (1993) from Asia among winners.

For the 75 year old Dr. King, the award comes at a time when her work as an aquatic ecologist has been appreciated across Africa, and the world.  According to the Stockholm Water Prize, the award recognises her “game-changing contributions to global river management. She has advanced the scientific understanding of water flows, giving decision-makers methods and tools to assess the full range of costs and benefits when managing or developing river systems”.

Dr King was co-founder of, and Principal Researcher at, the Freshwater Research Unit, University of Cape Town, for almost four decades. She is now Extraordinary Professor at the Institute for Water Studies, University of the Western Cape and an independent consultant. As an aquatic ecologist she became influential in the recently-established field of Environmental Flows. Her early research focused on South African rivers but since the 1990s she has moved into advisory work on river systems across Africa and Asia.

Dr King’s work has been recognized with both the Gold and Silver Medals from the Southern African Society of Aquatic Scientists and with South Africa’s “Women in Water” Award in the research category. She was also the 2016 recipient of WWF-South Africa’s “Living Planet Award”.  Her academic work includes over 100 refereed items in books, international journals and conference proceedings.

The award will be presented to Dr Jackie King by H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Patron of Stockholm Water Prize, at a Royal Award Ceremony on 28 August, during World Water Week in Stockholm