Symposium offers solutions towards water secure future
Managing our water resources carefully is central for building resilience in the face of climate change
Water touches every aspect of our lives. It is the most vital resource for life on earth as we know it. Yet, despite water’s importance to humanity, the world’s resources are increasingly threatened by overuse, pollution, and the threats of climate change. Clearly, disruptive and innovative solutions are required to lock in water security for the future.
No single entity or sector can achieve success without collaboration and co-operation. The theme of the 5th Water Research Commission (WRC) Biennial Symposium, held over three days from 20 to 22 September 2021, was Re-imagine, Re-build and Repeat: Future Proofing Water. This key event in the South African water sector calendar aimed to make a valuable contribution to the promotion of joint efforts to achieve sustainable development and use of water resources for the benefit of future generations.
The 5th WRC Symposium successfully convened around the virtual table delegates from research institutions, government departments, NGOS and civil society who participated actively in the plenary sessions, thematic and interactive discussions, as well as the side events. Pitched on the WRC’S 50-year celebration, the symposium presented an opportunity for reflection on South Africa’s water research, development and innovation journey, and served as a yardstick for the progress made in achieving the bold vision of highly informed water decision-making through research, development and innovation at all levels.
Delegates enjoyed a content-rich programme curated by seasoned experts from across the global water sector. The format comprised expert panels, specialist technical sessions and innovative technology demonstrations. This is the first time the symposium has been flighted as a virtual event.
Several critical themes that emerged from the Symposium; each is detailed in the full report. A few notable themes are highlighted in this article.
Sustainable development and future-proofing water
The future of water research, development and innovation in South Africa lies in enhancing the management of our natural water resources, in accessing alternative water sources and a strengthened focus on the circular and green economies, including the reuse and recycling of water.
To address the world’s biggest challenges — the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and poverty — all sectors of society must undergo major transitions where water is a crucial component. Water security is pivotal for economic growth, sustainable development and poverty reduction. Putting society and inclusiveness at the core allows for more opportunities for representation by various social actors and that becomes an exciting opportunity for the water sector.
Water is central to building resilience in the face of climate change. The youth must play a central role in building resilience as beneficiaries and protagonists. In particular, the youth roundtable held on the third day of the symposium sought to reflect on the challenges experienced by young people in the water sector and the opportunities they have identified in the sector.
Strategic partnerships
All Symposium delegates were in agreement that the water sector must continue to capitalise on the strengths of its partners locally, on the African
continent and internationally, from the private and public sector institutions, as well as with different layers of government.
A highlight in this regard was the formal launch of the Water Institutes Alliance (WIA), the purpose of which is to provide a platform to promote interdisciplinary and intersectoral co-operation to facilitate the flow of information, exchange of data, joint learning and systemic planning in the water sector. The existence of the Alliance is envisaged to galvanise actors and catalyse multistakeholder processes to improve water security in the SADC region, expanding to the rest of the African continent in the medium to long term.
Innovating with new eyes
We cannot innovate while standing still, by looking with the same eyes, by going back to the same places, with the same ideas. Innovation is meant to be our way of culturally evolving to adapt to our rapidly changing dynamic environment.
The symposium programme included a strong theme anchored on the protection, accounting for and management of water resources in South Africa, and numerous session discussions proposed the re-thinking of water resource management using innovative tools and methods.
A highlight was the celebration of the oneyear anniversary of the Local Government Technology Innovation Forum, a partnership between the WRC and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). The forum was established to identify, test and accelerate disruptive technology and innovations to enhance the operational efficiency of water services institutions.
Successful developments under the umbrella of the forum include Streamliner, a web-based platform that facilitates access to international, established technology for the South African water sector. The platform also provides access to international funding instruments for innovative solutions.
Access to financing mechanisms
Access to suitable financing mechanisms to meet the needs of sustaining water security are an important aspect for consideration both for the government and the private sector. The session titled Pooling perspectives on ecological infrastructure restoration investment examined unlocking and finding sustainable finance for the restoration of ecological infrastructure and its strategic integration with built infrastructure solutions – particularly as this pertains to alleviating dam siltation in the country.
Data and research
African researchers have the proven ability to lead the research agenda on the continent and to lead SDG integration. This is especially true in water research. The Symposium discussed how we need to improve data collection to better estimate water demand and supply for more informed management, policy and regulatory decisions around water quality and water access.
A greater focus is needed on learningfrom-doing — generating evidence through experimentation. The focus on new technological development may become secondary to testing what already exists and generating real-world data to prove the potential and adoption of emerging solutions.
An interesting session focused on citizen science. Citizen science is a form of community participation in scientific investigations, varying from assisting by collecting data or analysing results, to bottom-up practices that design and build new devices and knowledge processes that respond to local needs. It is this latter understanding of citizen science that a range of organisations, including the WRC, have sought to support and take to scale through a range of initiatives.
This session provided an opportunity to examine current work supported by the WRC that is aimed at building the network of empowered citizen
scientists able to collect data on water quality and quantity, in support of better management of water resources. The session highlighted how citizen science is not just a technical activity but can also be seen as a developmental practice with strong potential as a force for good — building democracy and empowering communities.
Improved governance in the water sector
Water governance is becoming an increasingly prominent field of research as recognition grows that many water crises are attributable more to governance failures than resource scarcity. Research agendas are increasingly turning to those aspects of water governance that remain in a state of flux in South Africa. The unfinished business of transforming the water sector and bedding down new models for policy and practice has been shown to cut directly to the heart of many of the persistent challenges being experienced in the sector. The session on governance and transformation provided an opportunity to examine some of the contemporary insights into governance and transformation emerging through Wrc-supported research, and their relevance to the pressing challenges in the water sector and beyond.
The 5th WRC Symposium offered the opportunity for robust dialogue with influencers, policymakers and key decision-makers. Participants engaged in a multilateral and multidisciplinary exchange about the role of research in addressing the challenges of water security. It is expected that the Symposium will serve as the starting point of many future collaborative successes in the water sector.
Learn more here: The 5th biennial WRC Symposium – FUTURE PROOFING WATER (5thwrcsymposium.co.za)