Dr. Anthony Turton

Dr. Turton is a specialist in the field of strategic risk assessment, with a current interest in understanding the risks associated with water as a foundation of the national economy. This is where his key skills lie in helping clients to understand the changing nature of risk arising from systemic failure of critical sub-systems. He is currently working with commercial real estate developers to mitigate their risk arising from failing infrastructure.

The recipient of the SABMiller ‘Nick Steele Memorial Award for Top Environmentalist of the Year’ (2010), Anthony was recognised for his work on acid mine drainage as a strategic problem. He was awarded the ‘Habitat Council Conservation Award’ in 2009 for his ‘principled stance in defence of the public to be informed of the truth … and the courage displayed in publishing the state of our water resources, thereby refusing to compromise his scientific integrity’.

He is past Vice President of the International Water Resource Association (IWRA), and is also a Professor in the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of Free State.

Anthony is an author with many scientific publications to his name including an autobiography called ‘Shaking Hands with Billy’ that documents the role he played working behind the scenes in ending the protracted conflict that had engulfed South Africa in the 1980’s, which gave rise to the CODESA process and thus our new democratic dispensation. It is based on this book that he talks about leadership and complex problem-solving under conditions of uncertainty where no previous experience can be used to guide current decision-making.

Anthony has served in a leadership role in a number of international institutions, including: founding member and past President of the Universities Partnership for Transboundary Waters; Executive Director of the International Water Resource Association; Deputy Governor of the World Water Council; Technical Advisor to the UNESCO sixth International Hydrological Program (IHP6). He currently works as an Editor of a number of journals in the sphere of Water.