Ideas to well up at Stellies pow wow

RESEARCHERS in the field of hydrology will gather in Stellenbosch to exchange ideas and information as the biennial Groundwater Conference gets underway on Monday.

The conference will be attended by researchers from the country and abroad and will serve as a platform for hydrologists to share ideas on various water-related matters.

This year, given the drought situation in the country and the Western Cape in particular, drought will form part of the discussions, said Dr Roger Parsons, chairperson of the conference organising committee. The conference is hosted by the Groundwater Division of the Geological Society of South Africa (GSSA).

“There will be delegates from the City of Cape Town in attendance and we fully expect – in an informal situation and manner – to interact and talk with them about their plans and what hydrologists can contribute to drought efforts,” he said.

“During my address, I will be urging fellow hydrologists to make themselves available to the drought effort and to roll up their sleeves and get involved. It’s all hands on deck,” Parsons said.

Other speakers scheduled to make presentations are Professor John Cherry, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, and winner of the 2016 Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, and Professor Bruce Misstear, an Associate Professor and Fellow of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.