The document proposes establishing a Water Resource Management Network (WRMN) to address South Africa's water challenges through multidisciplinary collaboration. It outlines the current water challenges around scarcity, quality, financing, and resource management. The WRMN would utilize a Water Need Clusters Approach with different institutes collaborating within clusters focused on specific water problems. This approach allows multidisciplinary interaction and participation from any interested competent groups or institutes. The network would be managed through a structure of network chairs, cluster leaders, and task groups to identify needs and work towards solutions across different domains related to water resource management.
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Dr adnan abu mahfouz wrmn network introduction scene setting
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Adnan Abu-Mahfouz, PhD
Networks and Media Competency Area
CSIR Meraka Institute
03 December 2015
Network Introduction: Scene Setting
Water Resource Management Network (WRMN)
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息 CSIR 2015
Outline
Water challenges
Water resource management
Why WRMN
Cooperation approach
WRMN structure
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Water challenges
Scarcity
Low level of rainfall
High level of
evaporation
Water pollution
Inefficient use
Quantity
Erratic runoff
Shallow dam basins
Fresh water deficits
by 2025
Surface water
Accessible fresh
water
Ecological Reserve
Dam maintenance
(lack of funding)
Ground water
The use is only 26%
Lack of knowledge
and information
Quality
Mining
Industries
Agriculture
Finance
Inadequate
financing
Poor financial
management
Human resources
Shortage of critical and
scarce skills
Lack of institutional
knowledge, experience
and competency
Insufficient appreciation
Value of water
Water situation
Water sustainability
Waste, pollution, etc
WRM
WRM
WRM
WRM
WRM
WRM: water
resource
management
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Alignment: National strategies and roadmaps
Water RDI Roadmap ICT RDI Roadmap
National
Development Plan
Irrigation Strategy
Energy Efficiency
Strategy
Tshwane 2055 Vision
Thirsty City scenario
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Why WRMN
Multidisciplinary
WRM
Engineering
Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Hydrology
Climatology
Geology
Social
science
The future WRM is
not a single
discipline but
rather is truly
multidisciplinary
and inherently
interdisciplinary
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Why WRMN
Different institutes with different maturity levels
Institute 1
Institute 2
Solution
Institute 1
Institute 2
+
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WRMN: Real collaboration for potential opportunities
Challenges
Lack of standardization
Lack of policies
Lack of Proper ICT governance
Lack of incentives/funding
Lack of awareness
Opportunities
Real-time monitoring
Improvement in water access
Reduction in water consumption
Reduction in operational costs
Integration of smart water management in
smart sustainable cities
Environmental flow integration
Greater public involvement
WRMN
Stakeholders
Who have influenced WRM
Who have a direct impact on WRM
Who have an indirect impact on WRM
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Possible cooperation approaches
Unstructured approach
Mostly, at the institute level
Limited resources and competences
Limitation in terms of problem perspectives, methodological and technological approaches and solutions offered
Lack the ability to analyse, evaluate and optimise the entire complex water system.
Therefore, it is unable to adequately meet the water challenges
Decentralised approach
Multi institutes or research groups
Targeted long term joint projects
Does not include every research field
Requires some kind of Research Master Plan that need to be prepared in advance
Mostly, it is not possible to include other interested institutes after finalizing the master plan
Centralised approach
National water research centre to conceptualise, organise and direct the cooperative research.
It may consider only a set of research areas
It requires a continuous and significant fund.
It may not consider the implementation that need to be conducted by different entity
Some research community may not fully agree with the finding and recommendation of such centre.
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Water Need Clusters Approach (WNCA)
Emphasis on the water need
instead of insisting on a fixed
structure
Enables a multidisciplinary
interaction within each cluster
Gives the opportunity to any
interested and competent institute
/ group to participate
The focus may varies based on the
requirements and the approach to
achieve the clusters outcomes
Interlinks the competent groups in
a complementary way
Allows groups to participate in
more than one cluster
Developed systems/techniques
may used across different clusters
Each cluster try to solve a complex
water problem
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Network Management
WRMN structure
Network Chair
CoT representatives
Clusters leaders
Cluster1
Active
members
Cluster2
Active
members
Cluster3
Active
members
Clusters committees
Leader
Committee
Members
Leader
Committee
Members
Leader
Committee
Members
Task Groups
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Thank you
Dr Adnan Abu-Mahfouz (AAbuMahfouz@csir.co.za)
If you would like to improve the water future
then join
WRMN
Join the LinkedIn group:
Tshwane Water Resource Management Network
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7036812