Case 1: Strengthening Cooperation and Capacity Development in SADC through WEF-Nexus

Case owner: Water Research Commission

The SADC region (Southern African Development Community) is home to about 90 million people, of which over 60% live in rural areas depending on agriculture, only 61% have access to safe drinking water, 39% to adequate sanitation, and 24% of the total population and 5% of rural people having access to electricity. Although the region is endowed with abundant water, agricultural, and energy resources, the distribution is uneven, and exploitation and access are unequal, resulting in perpetual poverty and resource insecurity. The region receives about 2,300 km³ of renewable water resources annually, yet only 14% is retained for use. Of this retained water, 18% is used for domestic purposes and the rest for agriculture and industry. How can new pathways strengthen regional cooperation and enhance economic development without leaving anyone using the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus.

Case 2: Community Capacity Development for Water Footprint Compensation

Case owner: 11th Hour Racing Team, Environmental Monitoring Group (EMG), Water Footprint Implementation (WFI)

Global water resources are under pressure. Regulatory and restorative actions on the local or river basin level are needed to prevent further pressure. To respond to this need, we intend to link water consumption for production to water compensation activities. The 11th Hour Racing Team, EMG, and WFI are working together in an EMG-led pilot project to determine the feasibility of community capacity building in water management as a water footprint compensation activity. How does the EMG pilot project serve as a blueprint for other community capacity-building wetland restoration projects in developing Water Footprint Compensation?

Case 3: Solid Waste Management in Informal Settlements

Case owner: Blue Deal South Africa

Water is life. And this resource is under threat. Pollution due to solid waste is one of the causes. Dumping of waste alongside rivers and stream deteriorates the water quality. When discharged into sewers, it clogs manholes and leads to overflow of the sewers. Especially in informal settlements, due to a lack of infrastructure solid waste management is a huge task for the local municipalities. How can solid waste management be properly and sustainably be implemented in informal settlements considering the social-economic situation?

Case 4: Sustainable Sludge Management at Rand Water Panfontein Sludge Treatment Plant

Case owner: Rand Water

Rand Water, the largest water utility in Africa is currently facing challenges with handling dewatered sludge – a of the by-product from its water treatment process – at its Panfontein Treatment Plant. The plant currently produces 600 tonnes of sludge per day and us quickly running out of storage place. This causes several logistical and environmental concerns. How can Rand Water optimize the sludge dewatering process and reduce the sludge time drying time to, inter alia, minimize the volume of sludge produced, shorten the sludge drying time and thus reduce the cost of the process.

Case 5: Empowering an Alumni Community for Action-driven follow-up of great ideas

Case owner: Young Water Professionals South Africa & Wetskills Foundation

‘Stop Talking, Start Doing’.  That was the theme of the YWP Conference in South Africa in 2015. ‘A little Less Conversation, A little More Action’ was the theme of the Young Water Professionals Programme of Amsterdam International Water Week 2013. Young Water Professionals South Africa and Wetskills are youth programmes which have been uniting talent for more than a decade. A lot of co-creation (like Wetskills ideas) and community building have been established in South Africa and beyond. How can WISA-YWP and Wetskills accelerate follow-up activities of fresh (WetsNext) ideas with the combined Water Talent Community in South Africa of the last decade?