Regional

Unilever

The Centre is a flagship Unilever project, and receives unencumbered financial support. The core activities supported by the funding are:

• capacity building and education, with a focus on students, Centre staff, communities and stakeholders within the broader water sector
• projects that include a focus on development and community issues and
• interactions with water quality stakeholders in the public and private sectors.

 

The Aquatox Forum

The UCEWQ is a corporate member of The Aquatox Forum. The Forum serves as a platform for the advancement of aquatic toxicity testing in South Africa.

International

Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management (IWERM), University of Technology Sydney, Australia.

Former director of the Centre, Tally Palmer, is current director of IWERM. The two organizations collaborate through the exchange of ecotoxicity data and research ideas.

 

UNILEVER UK - Safety & Environmental Assessment Centre, United Kingdom

In order to assess whether they are meeting their stringent environmental criteria, Unilever are currently sponsoring a project investigating the impact of the direct in-stream use of their detergent products on river organisms. The study is being undertaken in a small catchment in the Eastern Cape (Balfour River, near Fort Beaufort) and involves an assessment of the impact on the in-stream invertebrates and toxicological studies using local mayfly and limpet species.

 

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)

SETAC Africa has been launched and Dr Nikite Muller is on the SETAC Africa council.