South Africa is experiencing its worst drought since 1921, with last year being the driest on record. Water scarcity has had considerable effects on the economy and societies across the country, and the need for innovative solutions, technologies, and highly skilled individuals that will help ease the negative effects of the drought are urgently required.
In attempts to remedy South Africa’s water crisis, the Water RDI Roadmap was created by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Water Research Commission (WRC). This Roadmap is said to provide a structured framework to focus the contribution of research, development and innovation activity that will help South Africa’s water resources management with the implementation of national policy, strategy and planning.
About the National Water RDI Roadmap
The roadmap lays out seven innovation investment clusters which over a 10 -year period intend to facilitate a more competitive and effective innovation position for the South African water sector. This roadmap also intends on helping secure water for future needs. The roadmap plans to focus on the following:
- Investing in research, innovation, deployment and the skills needed to achieve the investment ambition of the roadmap
- Unlocking alternative sources of water, governance, management and planning of supply and demand
- Unlocking new ways of managing built and ecological infrastructure
- Improving the business efficiency of the water sector
- Monitoring metering and billing
- Efficiency in implementing the desired vision indicated by the roadmap
The WRC will be hosting a roadshow throughout major cities across the country in order to present a finalised plan to interested stakeholders. The roadshows will provide stakeholders with an opportunity to engage with the instruments that have been put in place to support the implementation of the roadmap. Stakeholders will also have an opportunity to discuss how institutions could best engage with the Water RDI Roadmap, Project Management Unit (PMU) and The Water Technologies Demonstration Programme (WADER). Dates for Water RDI Roadmap Sessions in different cities are as follows:
| CITY | DATE | TIME | VENUE |
| Cape Town | 01 November 2016 | 9 AM – 12:30 PM | Cape Town Lodge Hotel |
| East London | 07 November 2016 | 9 AM – 12:30 PM | TBC |
| Bloemfontein | 14 November 2016 | 9 AM – 12:30 PM | TBC |
| Durban | 28 November 2016 | 9 AM – 12:30 PM | TBC |
Dr Valerie Naidoo, executive manager responsible for Business Development at the WRC said the morning sessions at roadshows will serve as a short introductory overview of the roadmap. She added that afternoons would showcase several short meeting slots where the roadmap team would be available to meet with stakeholders to discuss strategies and ways to get involved to support the RDI project. Queries and booking can be made through Sarah Ruvhudzulo:
sarahr@wrc.org.za or 083 601 4612.
