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0 viewsThe Netherlands has been the global leader in water research for decades, and so it was only apt that the annual Aquatech exhibition at International Water Week (IWW) was convened in Amsterdam this year.
The IWW brought together the worlds of water technology and water management, with over 30 000 delegates, partners and exhibitors from 80 countries. The broader goal of the conference was to provide a platform for water professionals to network and knowledge-share. It also served to showcase practical and economic innovations so that the international water sector can begin to prepare and adapt to the changes and challenges that are the future of water.
The Young Water Professionals Program, which formed part of IWW, offers students from around the world the opportunity to learn from and liaise directly with top water sector companies and professionals, as well as collaborate with each other in innovation workshops and presentations.
A number of international students, including several South African students, were selected to participate in the Amsterdam Water Week Innovation Challenge, which saw them coming up with inventive solutions for urban water management that they can apply in water contexts around the world, and, more importantly back home. Students involved in the program were involved in the ‘Wetskills Challenge’, which challenged the students to develop creative and innovative solutions to the urban water challenges of tomorrow. The intention of the challenge was to implement the best ideas in the Watergraafsmeer Polder area in Amsterdam, which has problems with flooding. The polder (a low-lying tract of land reclaimed from the sea and protected by dikes) itself is about five metres below sea level.
Lwandile Nokoyo (University of Western Cape) and Fredrick Matongo (University of Fort Hare) were two of the South African Young Water Professionals participating in Water Week. Nokoyo has an undergraduate background in Applied Geology, and a post-graduate diploma in Integrated Water Resource Management, and Matongo has a background in biochemistry. Both are currently studying through a water management exchange program at TU Delft.
Lwandile Nokoyo speaking from the IWW in Amsterdam, November 2011
Nokoyo and his international team of student colleagues came up with several solutions to counter the the issues of water management (figure 1). “We decided to come up with more than one solution”, says Lwandile. With a vision of solving problems and raising local awareness at the same time, his group of young professionals decided the best approach would be to apply different measures on different scales and sub-areas.
click to enlarge image for description below
First, was the implementation of water in houses (figure 2), where stored run-off water is automatically distributed within a household. This ‘re-use water system’ works with water being stored and used for different household activities, like washing your car. Second is bio-retention basins (figure 3), which are shallow landscape basins or mini-gardens on sidewalks, which can help slow down rain run-off on streets. The next solution is water plaza’s (figure 4), which are reserved public spaces like playgrounds which instead of being level, are sunken into the ground to store water. They operate similarly to storm water control dams. Fourth are green roofs (figure 5), which are absorbent roofs which help absorb carbon dioxide omissions and delay water from flowing directly into the sewerage system. The absorbed water can be use for household water usage, like flushing toilets and washing. Another solution is sailing cycling lanes (figure 6), which increase water surface area. Last is the art of awareness (figure 7), which will incorporate water-themed artworks into public areas. For example, an artwork can catch rain, and the public will be made aware of how much rain their community is receiving.
Matongo describes how some of the solutions can be very feasible in our country too. Green roofs, for example, would be the perfect solution to local water problems. “In some areas in South Africa there are terrible flooding problems, but if green roofs are installed, rainfall could be captured, and not run into the streets.” Of course, the more green roofs in an area, the more effective the water capture would be.
Providing a space for invaluable information to be exchanged, the International Water Week events in Amsterdam were an ideal platform for water professionals around the world. The water challenges that are faced globally and locally are so different, but with the correct water management, the right solutions can be applied. And with young water professionals like Lwandile Nokoyo and Fredrick Matongo initiating innovative solutions, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future of water management in South Africa. “I hope to emphasize the importance of integrating solutions and involving everyone who uses a common water resource, because this ensures that a challenge is tackled from everyone’s point of view”, says Nokoyo.
“I just hope [that] we get to a point where we find the best water management practices, especially when it comes to implementing stricter laws when it comes to polluting our resources and the proper allocation of water to everyone in South Africa, especially in the rural areas”, he concludes.
Pictures courtesy of International Water Week and the Young Water Professionals Program.
Image 1: Students who participated in the Watergraafsmeer Challenge:
Atsile Rosy Ocwelwang (University of Fort Hare), (lady pp hands with a sheet of paper, far left, and one of the winning group members); Okolongo Gauthier (University of Western Cape), (man with a black suit, red tie, far right); Pardon Nyamukamba (University of Western Cape), (2nd on LHS of Okolongo); Nokoyo Lwandile (University of Western Cape), (4th from Okolongo); Fredrick Matongo (University of Fort Hare),( not in photo.
Image 2: The South Africa delegation from right:
Fredrick Matongo, (University of Fort Hare); Ronald M Brown (WISA Vice President); member of Jury; Rosy Atsile Ocwelwang (University of Fort Hare); Pardon Nyamukamba (Cape Peninsula University of Technology); Gauthier Nganda Okolongo (University of Western Cape); Lwandile Nokoyo (University of Western Cape).