Netherlands and South Africa team up at expo
The consensus at the biannual #cocreateMYCITY event, hosted by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, was ‘No plan will hold water without collaboration and implementation’.
THE #cocreateMYCITY event, held at the Elangeni Hotel on Thursday, June 8, culminated in an energy-packed and interactive Wetskills session which saw young professionals pitch their solutions for water challenges to a jury of experts, and the presentation of a prize to the top group of professionals. These innovative solutions and the inclusion of youth in the water sector provide hope for a more sustainable, inclusive and secure water future for South Africa, and specifically the City of eThekwini.
The consensus at the biannual #cocreateMYCITY (CCMC) event hosted by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was ‘No plan will hold water without collaboration and implementation’.
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Lively Debates
Addressing more than 140 delegates from both the public and private sectors, the ambassador from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Han Peter, spoke about how his country was experiencing water shortages for the first time in its history due to drought and had much to learn from South Africa which was traditionally a water-scarce country.
“I am very impressed by the fact that we have brought together stakeholders in water management from both South Africa and the Netherlands, from the public and private sectors. There has been a lot of enthusiasm and creativity, which makes me hopeful for the future,” he said.
Turning to the South Durban Basin, spokesperson for the eThekwini Municipality Dr Andrew Mather explained the events of April 2022 when extreme rainfall and the silting of the Shongweni Dam created a surge in the Umlaas River which saw water breech the berms of the canal and flow down the highway into industrial and residential areas, submerging vast areas. Although this was a once-in-200-years occurrence, delegates agreed that severe climate change was now a reality and that to prevent further devastation, urgent measures were needed to decrease future flood risks. Mather said that the municipality was looking at the construction of a new culvert to help divert and control overflows, building new diversion berms and deepening existing ones as well as upstream attenuation, which included deepening the Shongweni Dam. It said it was in discussion with key stakeholders.
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System Innovations
When considering solutions for this vulnerable industrial hub, feedback from residents, which included motor manufacturer Toyota South Africa and paper and pulp manufacturer Mondi, who were severely impacted at the time, emphasised the need for still greater collaboration and the inclusion of insurers, academics and communities who were victims of the flooding.
Delegates also called for an early warning system that would warn residents and emergency services of the threat of natural disasters throughout the province. This discussion culminated in a warning that authorities needed to react quickly in order to ‘build back better’ or face the problem of businesses acting in isolation to protect themselves which would compromise the implementation of a more effective and comprehensive solution.
Additional challenges highlighted included the problem of budgetary shortfalls and the funding of key water projects.
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