Keynote Speakers

John Knight

Technical Advisor of South Asia Region, WaterAid

John Knight is a project manager and civil engineer, specialising in water and sanitation. 14 years of experience working in the WASH sector for humanitarian and development organisations in Myanmar, Nepal, Iraq, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. John enjoys applying his skills and experience to help people in need, mentoring and coaching staff, and working together with an international team.

Joy Nyawira Riungu

Director - Sanitation Research Institute, Meru University of Science and Technology

Dr Joy Riungu holds PhD in Water and Sanitation Engineering , TU/UNESCO-IHE, Delft, and Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Management, JKUAT. She is an experienced researcher in sustainable sanitation (circular economy approach), and has widely published in this area. She has vast experience in on-site sanitation; technology development, testing and implementation and in particular within informal slum and peri-urban settlements. Her key flagship research projects are: Enabling the circular Economy for sanitation and Scaling up off grid sanitation.

David Thomas

Technical Director of Wastewater Engineering and Principal WATSAN Engineer, Mott MacDonald

Dr David Thomas is a fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers.  He completed his Engineering Doctorate at Cranfield in 1999 and has spent a career as a practising WASH engineer focused on delivering sustainable water, wastewater, and sanitation projects. He is currently Mott MacDonald’s Technical Director of Wastewater Engineering and Principal WATSAN engineer. David also operates as a sanitation engineer for the British Red Cross with a particular focus on refugee settings.