News

Started: Improved Early Warning Systems for SADC-region

May 2020

(Cyclone Idai. Source: MeteoSat-11/EU METSAT)

AquaLinks has started on the project ‘stocktaking of climate, weather and water services in Southern Africa’ for World Bank. The project is stocktaking Hydrological and Meteorological Services in the 16 Member States of SADC. This will be input in guidanance for investment planning for investments that have regional impacts. Also, opportunities for public private engagement and clarity on capacity building by academic and research institutions is investigated. AquaLinks is subcontractor of Royal HaskoningDHV, and fulfills the roles of Teamleader (Marieke de Groen) and Reviewer (subcontractor Brad Garanganga). WeatherImpact is also part of the consortium.

The project is for now planned until September 2020, but this can possibly be extended in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inputs and suggestions are welcome.

Busy: Economic impacts for farmers of E.coli (faecal) pollution in Sabie and Crocodile catchments

April 2020

For World Wide Fund for Nature, funded by Woolworths, AquaLinks is busy with a study on the impacts of faecal pollution in the Sabie and Crocodile Catchments on agricultural economics.

Field visits to farmers have been replaced with questionnaires and phone calls due to the COVID-19 lockdown, but otherwise we  are busy.

(Photo credit: Low Velder)

Online: Final reports on Sustainable Drainage in Gauteng Province

April 2020

All deliverables on the project “Research on the Use of Sustainable Drainage in Gauteng” for the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development are now available online via the Future Water Institute of the University of Cape Town.

www.futurewater.uct.ac.za/gauteng-suds-research

This project was completed in March 2020, with the Urban Rivers Alliance (Fourth Element, Eco-Pulse, AquaLinks), NMA and Greenvision Consulting. AquaLinks provided project management, facilitation and organisation of workshops and meetings, contents contributions and editing.

Enjoy the reading and let it be for increased implementation of Sustainable Drainage in the whole of South Africa and beyond, but in particular in Gauteng.

Unveiled: Gauteng Sustainable Drainage Systems Implementation Manual

March 2020

Cheers to the finalization of the project ‘Research on the Use of Sustainable Drainage Systems for Gauteng’ for GDARD by the Urban River Alliance (Fourth Element, AquaLinks, Eco-Pulse), NMA, Greenvision Consulting and TAUW. It was an honour to be the project manager of the Consultants Team and facilitator of the Workshops and PSC meetings, as well as co-author of the deliverables.

Deliverables, including Implementation Manual will be soon published on GCRO and UCT website. AquaLinks will keep you updated.

Monitoring: High rainfall 7 to 8 February in Johannesburg 

February, 2020

This is what the TAHMO weather stations measured 7/8 February 2020 in Johannesburg:

• Braamfontein had in total 130 mm measured! No wonder the M1 had to be closed (This was measured by a tipping bucket which we installed recently to check on the extreme rain measured there)
• Alexandra, Jabulani, Hunters Hill, Midrand, measurements were all in the range 97-102 mm.
• Be aware that on Sunday evening (not shown here) it rained again, with for example for Alexandra another 48 mm measurements!
• Kibler Park firestation had such high rainfall measured (and earlier starting) that we do not trust it. According to not yet formally confirmed estimates of radar from SAWS there was about 120-140 mm there.
• Orange Farm we measured hardly any rain, but radar did, so that one also needs a site visit to check and is not in the graph below. Although Rietfontein, also quite south, had far less than the others with 70 mm.
• (The Florida Park station was stolen and is still waiting for funds for replacement.)

Making it known: TAHMO weather stations

October 2019

Life can be circular; From 1995-2001 I worked for Prof Hubert Savenije and completed my PhD under him in 2002. Fast forward 2019 and the 20th Waternet symposium is around the corner of the AquaLinks offices. Prof Dominic Mazvimavi is quoting Prof Hubert Savenije on the seed we all planted then. Waternet is now a tree under which shade a lot of IWRM researchers have grown.

AquaLinks is represented at the Waternet-symposium by Marieke de Groen and Fungisai Chiduku, together representing the Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory.

The plea is the same as in 1995: measure more and use the data!

Almost there: 4th PSC of Research on the Use of SuDS in Gauteng

October 2019

AquaLinks arranged that the PSC & PMC & guests of “Research on the use of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems in Gauteng” could ponder about the possibility of green roofs in the CBD from the 15th floor “Elevate Rooftop venue” in Marshalltown Johannesburg. All background studies are now submitted:  Literature Review, Inventory of SuDS in Gauteng, Analysis of the three Study Areas and Recommendations (the three study areas being Kagiso, CBD-Johannesburg, Bonaero Park-Atlasville), Decision Support Tools for SuDS in Gauteng, Best Management Practices. Now the last big step is to get it all into a concise Implementation Manual!

Busy: Getting Gauteng going on Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems

July 2019

A workshop on Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems in preparation of an implementation manual for Gauteng, as prepared by GDARD, took place on 26 July in Johannesburg. Over 60 participants from government, consultancies, academia, property owners, civil society and community participated. AquaLinks led the organisation and facilitation as part of the Urban Rivers Alliance with FourthElement and Eco-Pulse and with NMA and Greenvision Consulting. After a presentation by Stuart Dunsmore on the three Study Areas used (Kagiso, Bonaero, Johannesburg CBD), there were parallel sessions on making SuDS sustainable, retro-fitting SuDS, policies and institutions and the land development process. We are getting Gauteng going on SuDS, towards a water sensitive and water secure Gauteng!

Continued: AgriCloud from Rain4Africa

June 2019

While the NSO financed Rain4Africa project is officially closed off, the consortium will continue to roll out AgriCloud! Watch the video in this link.

AquaLinks as subcontractor of Hydrologic and Weather Impact, has worked together with the other consortium partners ARC, SAWS, WDOD, eLEAF, KNMI, Winejob to deliver the deliverables, resulting in Apps for smartphone and USSD, as well as desktop advice and API connections to decision support systems. For the Agro-industry and beyond.

AquaLinks will continue to support the roll out.

Busy: Research on the Use of SuDS in Gauteng

February 2019

AquaLinks organised and facilitated on 5 February the GDARD workshop “Research on the Use of Sustainable (Urban) Drainage Systems in Gauteng” with the others in the Urban Rivers Alliance (FourthElement and Eco-Pulse) and with NMA and GreenvisionConsulting.

Big thanks to all participants from private sector, academia and government! The rain and clouds of the San embroideries in the Origins Centre inspired the over thirty participants.

N.B. we are uploading SuDS projects in www.climatescan.nl