National Water Resource Strategy – 2

PPC HearingsOctober 2012

Comments fromThe Water Research Commission

WRC 2012

Comment 1 :The NWRS-2 Process

• Revitalisation of the national water dialogue last experienced with the NWA on the late 90s.

• We’ve had 20 years of consistent growth, a huge extension of basic servicing and the colossal change in consumption patterns – and some of the ills of 200 years of imprudent mining practices have come home to roost.

• The strain of water resources and water ecosystems is immense.

Reflections: the 2012 NWRS process

• Notion of a water crisis in South Africa.• Other countries with similar or less water

than South Africa per capita keep the crisis away through the following means:

1.High levels of Science, Technology and Innovation,

2.Good infrastructure, and,3.High levels of dedicated skill.

Comment 2 - The NWRS-2 must be supported by robust research and

development• There is a need for a Water Research and

Development Framework.• This must be developed with multi-

stakeholder consultation.• There must be a co-ordinated roll-out.• This can be co-ordinated on behalf of the

Minister and DWA by the WRC

A brief glimpse at the state of Water R&D

In South Africa and the world

Confronting the global water crisis through research, Elsevier 2011

Considering SA’s historical scientific performance

• Data from the WRC Pulse Rate study on the state of water research and development in South Africa.

• Using the proxy indicator of the country’s performance in the Thomson Reuters ISI for reliable global comparison.

• Using the ISI category of Water Resources.

SA water publications 1981-2010

World share of SA water research publications 1981-2010

Water resources articles: South Africa and selected countries 2006-10

Rank Country Number of Publications1 USA 105302 China PRC 36193 UK 27794 Germany 27545 Canada 24866 France 23487 Spain 20978 Australia 20279 Italy 202410 India 179611 Japan 165512 Netherlands 134013 South Korea 128614 Taiwan 97915 Switzerland 91416 Brazil 75117 Iran 72618 Greece 70719 South Africa 67720 Belgium 65021 Sweden 598

Relative impact of SA water research publications 1981-2010

Water Research SA - Prolific Institutions 1999-2010

Institutions Record CountUniversity of Pretoria 287University of Cape Town 239CSIR 183University of Kwa-Zulu Natal 180 + 136Rhodes Univ. 159Univ. Witwatersrand 148Univ. Natal (historical) 136Univ. Stellenbosch 133Univ. Johannesburg 94Univ. Orange Free State 91Rand Afrikaans Univ. 72Univ. Western Cape 54Dept Water Affairs & Forestry 51Tshwane University of Technology 39Univ. Zululand 39Water Res Commission 38Potchefstroom Univ. 35Univ. FT Hare 35Univ. Free State 33Univ. Venda 32Umgeni Water 31

Features of the R&D Agenda

• Planning around the ‘wicked problem’ that water matters present => seeking the innovative solutions with potential multiplier effects.

• Need for Trans-disciplinarity and in particular bringing the social and other sciences together.

• Seeking niches for global leadership.

Further Comments

• Polluted waters as a resource.• Importance of Freshwater ecosystems.• Dealing with the water-energy-food nexus.• Water and Gender.• Opportunity of the International Freshwater

Governance Conference, South Africa, November 2012.

Thank You

WRC Board June 2012 15