John Briscoe, a leading authority on water resources and great friend to many in the industry, has sadly died aged 66 following a long illness.
Former Senior Water Advisor at the World Bank, Briscoe was awarded the 2014 Stockholm Water Prize for his "unparalleled contribution to global and local water management".
John had been described by colleagues as Mr Water: the most far-sighted, thoughtful, deeply thinking person in the field.
He leaves a remarkable legacy. Jens Berggren, director of the Stockholm Water Prize, said of him: "He is the most extraordinarily worthy winner – one of the giants in the water world.
"He has worked on economics, water resources, demographics, anthropogy – and he has been able to synthesise all of that into practical guidelines and strong policies on how to move forward towards a better and more water-wise world."
A memoriam piece looking back on his inspirational life will be published in our January issue.