Collaborative project on water security gains momentum
Various stakeholders are taking hands to make a success of research on water security in Tshwane.
A collaborative project about water security and reconnecting residents of Pretoria to water and nature is gaining momentum. The project includes a water-themed photography competition soon coming to an end, workshops will soon be held and research is filling in the gaps in water awareness and sustainable water use.
Working on these themes together with University of Pretoria researchers and staff from Tshwane is a researcher from Austria, Kathy Berger.
“I am passionate about sustainable development and collaboration. Through our research in Tshwane, I’ve noticed a generational shift in how people interact with water and green spaces. Due to the degradation of these areas, residents are not using their green spaces with water as much as they once did, which reflects changing patterns of use and connection with nature,” Berger said.
“Our research is all about preparing cities for climate change-related extreme weather events but our goal is also aiding residents to reconnect with nature and giving water and nature a role in their lives. We hope that through our work we can shed light on the communities’ care for nature and come up with progress in the given contexts,” explained Berger.
She is concerned, especially about two of the findings of their research: Namely, that there is a gap in the collaboration between the metro and residents on water and other critical issues.
Their research also shows that persistent sewage leaks and waste are polluting city rivers, shifting their use from leisure and cultural rituals to dumping sites or being completely avoided.
“I am very blessed to come from a country with some of the best drinking water in the world. We have beautiful lakes in Austria and when you are able to use the water for relaxation like for sailing, you almost get a sense of spirituality. We would like to help bring local uses of water back to the residents of Tshwane,” Berger pointed out.
The research project CONSUS will continue until 2027, in strong collaboration with the city to implement their recommendations.
“We need collective actions to save Tshwane’s water and water security. Relationships between residents and city officials on water issues must be strengthened and this is what the photography competition and workshops are all about.”
She said the Wonders of Water photography competition, which closes on October 11, was launched to make citizens aware of their own relationship to water and its wider uses for all residents.
“We want to bring Tshwane’s water uses to the surface and encourage residents to ask themselves about particular places where they see a potential or an opportunity for the use of water,” she said.
Berger added that this is part of a project to change the narrative around water in the capital city.
She explained Tshwane, in collaboration with the City of Aarhus in Denmark, the University of Pretoria and the University of Aarhus are dedicated to promoting sustainable development through community engagement and art.
This research project itself is funded by the Danida Fellowship Centre and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, the latter also funding a collaboration between the two cities on water security.
Following the photography competition, there will be two workshops where stakeholders and the public will be imagining futures where water is safe and accessible to everyone in Tshwane.
“By attending, the public will be invited to share their ideas and stories to help shape the city’s water-security plan, and we will try to make the workshops both fun and creative while co-creating concrete outputs,” said Berger.
If you have any questions about the projects, contact Kathy Berger at kathy.berger@bio.au.dk.
– Event Details of the workshops:
Two workshops at different times and locations, will be hosted:
October 24: Drop in from 12:00 at Mabopane Green River Corridor, Tshwane South TVET College.
October 26: Drop-in from 09:00 at Magnolia Dell’s Huckleberry’s Restaurant.
Entries for the photography competition can be made until 11 October on this link: https://consusresearch.weebly.com/wonders-of-water-workshops.html
Registrations can be made for the workshops on these links: https://consusresearch.weebly.com/wonders-of-water-workshops.html
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