The 3rd Southern African Region Young Water Professionals Conference will be taking place for the first time in the magnificent location of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape, South Africa from 16 to 18 July 2013.
The YWP runs under the auspices of the International Water Association (IWA) and the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA). Nora Hanke, Chairperson of the Conference Organising Committee says the 2013 conference aims to provide a forum for young researchers and practitioners across the water sector to present and discuss their work and ideas. Participants will meet peers within water and wastewater science, governance, engineering, technology, management and other areas of the water sector. This conference aims to further career development and young professional capacities in a multi-disciplinary environment, encouraging discourse on current and future water concerns. Water, Africa, Youth The theme and logo for the conference is WATER. AFRICA. YOUTH. Hanke says this was chosen as it is truly represents an African-wide conference that will be covering a broad spectrum of themes. Hanke comments on what makes this conference stand out from the previous conferences: “There are two main aspects that distinguish this from the previous two conferences, firstly, this year the conference is being held out of Gauteng province, in the Western Cape. A bidding process was conducted for the choice of location and this is a good indication of the growth of the YWP in the past few years. Secondly, this is the first time that the conference is being held over three days, in order to accommodate an increased number of speakers and topics”. Knowledge and expertise In terms of what can delegates expect from the conference in acquiring knowledge for their specific field of expertise, Hanke says that the conference programme focuses on multi-disciplinary. This allows for interaction within the various themes, providing delegates with the opportunity to talk and interact with other people in their field, as well as exchanging expertise with other specialists. A number of the speakers will be presenting for the first time at an international conference, which is an important and crucial part of their research and personal development. Themes and Speakers A wide variety of themes will be covered in the conference sessions, some of these include: Environmental impacts, Cities of the future; Water-linked ecosystems; Water and human health; New and emerging methods and technologies; Wastewater treatment and management; Resources planning; Legislation and regulation; Trans disciplinary water issues and Sludge and anaerobic processes, which are sure to provide solutions to some of the world’s water challenges. More than 70 local and international speakers will present papers on a variety of topics on the top of the water agenda over the 3 day programme. A distinguished panel of water professionals comprising speakers: Dr Anthony Turton, Dr Kevin Winter, Dr Jennifer Molwantwa will debate the topic of: Unpacking the many faces of water cooperation in a South African context. Of particular significance is the Green Matter sponsored workshop, entitled: Surviving in the cross sector. Developing transdisciplinary skills in the water and biodiversity sectors, to be chaired by Dr Inga Jacobs. Another topical issue is that of mine and industrial water and there are a number of sessions dedicated to these challenging topics that have been incorporated into the programme. Opening plenary Prof. Eugene Cloete, Vice Rector, Research and Innovation at Stellenbosch University, will be delivering the opening plenary of the conference in a session entitled: Eco –nomics, water and development. Prof. Cloete’s opening plenary will highlight the importance of every ecosystem, including that of our planet earth, which has a limiting factor and determines the yield. The closer you come to this limiting factor in an ecosystem, the more instability there is in the ecosystem. Understanding how ecosystems in nature function might provide us with a more sustainable way into the future. He will discuss how we should focus on managing wealth, not the eradication of poverty. Wealth is used as an acronym i.e. W (water), E (energy), A (agriculture), L (land), T (technology) and H (health). If we have WEALTH in place for everyone we will move towards a better and more sustainable future. Our ecosystem will work and stay in harmony. Social eventsA number of social events have been planned throughout the conference. On the evening of Tuesday 16 July, the Water Olympics will take place at Paul Roos Gymnasium located a short distance from the conference venue. Participants will be placed in teams which will then compete against each other in various interactive games involving water. This is certainly going to be a fun evening of good spirited competition. Prizes will be awarded to the best team, as well as best dressed, and most spirited team. This is an event not to be missed where delegates can interact in a social setting. A warm winter soup will be served.
The formal Black Tie Ball will be taking place on the evening of Wednesday 17 July at the magnificent Stellenbosch Town Hall. The three-course meal will be preceded by a welcome drink and live classical music. Afterwards one of the famous YWP parties is set to take place. Official invitations have been sent out for this event which will be attended by the conference’s sponsors and speakers. This is an excellent place to meet them, in an informal setting. There will also be photo corners with accessories where people can have their picture taken, making this a memorable occasion. Delegates Delegates will represent a broad spectrum of sectors including Universities; Provincial and National water departments; Water engineers, managers and educators; Water and social scientists, biologists and hydrologists; Resource economists and management agencies; Representatives of water boards and industry; Policy-makers, consultants, stakeholders and relevant NGOs. Social reporting Two social reporters will be roaming the conference with bloggies, recording and reporting on interesting discussions in sessions, during lunch and tea-time activities, and even informal discussions in the lobby. These snippets will be posted on the Young Water Professionals Facebook page and the SA YWP 3rd Regional Conference: 16 – 18 July 2013 Facebook events page. If you haven’t done so already, please join these groups and share your experiences at the conference and comment on the conference posts. Hanke says: “On behalf of the Conference Organising Committee we look forward to welcoming you to the 3rd Southern African Region Young Water Professionals Conference, which is truly representative of Africa and our Young Water Professionals”. About the Young Water Professionals programme It is widely recognised that capacity building and sustainable knowledge transfer are critical concerns for several sectors in Southern Africa, and the water sector is no different. The loss of intellectual assets is a major threat to effective water management particularly in water-scarce countries such as South Africa where the onus has always been on the scientific community to find technological solutions for sectoral challenges. The repercussions for the sector include high staff turnover as well as the loss of skills and institutional memory. Young water professionals in South Africa are therefore faced with the threefold challenge of developing their skills; finding mentors to help them do so; as well as grappling with the added responsibility of re-learning knowledge that could have been retained through sustainable knowledge transfer policies and programmes. Fulfilling the present and future needs of the water and wastewater industries therefore requires the continuous development of a workforce which is adequate in size, capable in skills and strong in leadership. Recognising that Young Water Professionals (students and professionals in the water sector and under the age of 35, or who attained their most recent qualification within the past five years) are the future of the water sector, the Young Water Professionals (YWP) programme was established as an international initiative by the International Water Association (IWA). In Southern Africa, the Southern African Young Water Professionals (SA YWP) in collaboration with the Water Institute for Southern Africa (WISA) has been highly successful in providing opportunities for YWPs to meet and communicate; providing career development opportunities for YWPs; supporting employers with the recruitment and retention of YWPs; as well as ensuring that the Programme remains relevant. The YWP Programme provides a range of activities, services and initiatives to young professionals and students in the water and wastewater sector under the age of 35. The Programme connects with employers, academic institutions and other professional associations to ensure that the future needs of the sector are understood and addressed, and that inter-generational dialogue is created to form links between senior professionals of the sector and the incoming young professionals. The Programme includes the following aims:- Connecting people in order to provide opportunities for YWPs to meet and communicate.
- Career development opportunities for young water professionals through the organisation of workshops and online initiatives.
- Sector support to help employers with the recruitment and retention of YWPs.
- Programme development to ensure that the programme remains relevant to the needs of YWPs.
- Engagement of young water professionals in IWA and WISA programmes and other water related initiatives.
Connecting – linking and transdisciplinary networking
Evolution – growth
