Dalia Saad is a trained Environmental Chemist with special interest in integrating sociological and gender dimensions into water research. Her research spans across water pollution, sustainable resource management, and resource recovery and reuse. She is also interested in gender mainstreaming in environmental issues including water management, climate change and agriculture. With her intensive research experience, “both technical and non-technical” she has gained comprehensive view in understanding and dealing with water issues. She has hands-on experience in wastewater treatment, pollutants monitoring and removal, and also works on public water issues, addressing the social aspects of water management and the safe re-use of recycled water; including perception, community engagement and public acceptance, culture, religion and gender roles.
With generous funding from the Royal Society, UK, she is currently leading a multidisciplinary research group investigating Micro-plastics pollution and its associated socio-economic impacts in African freshwaters.
Dalia is a well experienced researcher with good research outputs; highly skilled in project development and management, technical writing, proposal writing, fundraising and budgeting, as well as team working and leadership. She has completed several international trainings, received various international awards, as well as numerous research and mobility grants from several organisations including, European Commission, Robert Bosch Stiftung, Welcome Trust, GenderInSITE, African Academy of Sciences, and the Royal Society, among others.
Dalia is a FLAIR-Royal Society Fellow, TWAS young Affiliate, and an alumna of OWSD fellowship program. She is a member of several professional bodies and an x-member of the executive committee of OWSD - South Africa National Chapter.
Future Leaders African Independent Researchers (FLAIR) Fellow, TWAS Young Affiliate, Africa Science Leadership Program (ASLP) Fellow, African-German Network of Excellence in Science Prize (AGNES), 65th Lindau Nobel Laureates Meetings Alumna, Member - Golden Key International Honour Society