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Every Drop Counts
As a rapidly urbanising country, South Africa faces multiple water challenges,
including shortages, the growing burden of wastewater produced by the
emergent and urbanising population, and the expanding and varying trajectory
of the resource-based industrial sector, associated environmental issues, and
fragmented and complex institutional structures.
A
mongst the results of increased pollution are
elevated salinity levels and nutrient enrichment
(higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus
in water). The deteriorating quality of South Africa’s
surface and groundwater resources is particularly
challenging as these supply systems underpin social
and economic development in the country and impact
directly on ecosystems. Water security is therefore
of particular concern and climate change, water
scarcity and water quality have the potential to
worsen systemic water shortages over the medium to
long term. Addressing these issues require ongoing
inter-institutional and interdisciplinary research and
the continuous improvement of the governance of
water to ensure a successful transition towards water
sensitivity, thereby building towards the nation’s social,
environmental and economic well-being.
Water research at UCT is a multidisciplinary endeavour,
drawing in some of the highest-ranked academics
across departments and faculties, many of whom have
inspired postgraduate students to join them in working
towards local water-management solutions. However,
water research at the university is not limited to senior
academics. Rather, the valuable mentoring that these
leading researchers provide is creating rising research
stars, with postgraduate students consistently achieving
accolades for their contributions. This can be attributed
to the sharing of a fundamental vision to optimally
manage the survival of this precious resource.