Dutch water companies joining Cape Town in fight against Day Zero
WITH the concern around the availability of water in the Western Cape, the province’s challenges have been widely reported.
Innovative solutions and strong partnerships will be required to help solve issues around water security and scarcity, and managing the “new normal” when it comes to consumption and the preservation of the natural resource.
“The need for collaboration in improving water management has never had more relevance given the situation across South Africa,” says Jason Mingo, the chairperson of the Water Institute of Southern Africa’s (Wisa) technical committee.
The Netherlands and South Africa have a long history in the area of strengthening water governance through knowledge transfer and skills development in the water sector.
The much-lauded Kingfisher Programme, which links South African water-catchment management areas with Dutch Water Authorities to exchange knowledge on catchment strategies, is a good example of the relationship between the two countries.
From Sunday until today, 12 Dutch water companies are joining the fight against Day Zero by attending the Wisa 2018 biennial conference.
“Water touches upon all big issues of our times: climate change, security, energy supply, poverty, population growth, agriculture, urbanisation and migration” says Henk Ovink, the special water envoy and Deputy Minister for International Water Affairs in the Netherlands.
Ovink is leading the trade delegation attending the conference and hoped to share key learnings and solutions from various Dutch initiatives.
The following Dutch initiatives form part of the formal Wisa conference programme:
Hosting an informative workshop on industrial water reuse.
Co-hosting a workshop with the National Department of Water and Sanitation to find sustainable solutions for water and sanitation in a changing environment (the Kingfisher Project).
Solution-focused workshops by leading Dutch businesses and organisations.
Hosting the prestigious Wetskills competition finals.
The following Dutch companies have signed up for the conference and look forward to “breaking boundaries and connecting ideas”:
Royal IHC supplies innovative and efficient equipment for the offshore dredging and wet-mining markets, focusing on projects from sea level to the ocean floor.
MTD Flex Water focuses on the growing market of temporary water supply and disposal.
Rollepaal provides innovative pipe-producing equipment and their developments contribute to reducing energy consumption and the usage of raw materials.
Hydraloop offers smart and affordable water-recycling products in multiple spheres of usage.
Mienis is a pioneer in water treatment and has specialised in this space for more than 40 years.
Lynnwood Living is a Dutch interior design company that offer custom solutions to the home, including a water-recycling shower.
Mobile Water Management is the only software company in the water sector that registers water levels by using a mobile device.
ESA Group is a leading specialist in physic-chemical wastewater technology and gives advice in the field of environmental problems concerning flue gas cleaning and waste water treatment.
Frantz is a freelance PR and communications strategist. She works for the Netherlands Consulate General in Cape Town.