PLEASE CONTACT SHARON@AWARD.ORG.ZA OR HUGO@AWARD.ORG.ZA FOR VIDEO ACCESS

Global concerns over declining freshwater resources are widely evident. The Olifants Basin – shared between South Africa and Mozambique – exhibits many of these concerns: declining water quality and flow, non-compliance with national and international benchmarks, weakening governance and capacity and unlawful use all juxtaposed against increasing livelihood insecurity, increasing demands and the need to provide water for growth and development. Climate change – projected to decrease flows by over 50% in the near future – will exacerbate these vulnerabilities as will the anticipated recession from COVID-19. How then do we chart a sustainable future? This webinar outlines recent experiences of supporting water resources governance for sustainability through an innovative, systemic social learning approach. Through the RESILIM-Olifants Proramme, AWARD has developed and tested this approach as an alternative to conventional, linear thinking to support good governance, IWRM and water resources protection. In 2015, flow cessation was almost inevitable given weakening governance and institutional capacity together with the worst drought on record – all of which threatened water resource integrity and human livelihoods. Despite this, flows were maintained and compliance with minimum statutory benchmarks was met at times. This webinar explores how a systemic collaborative approach, supported by integrated tools for decision-making, was used to maintain flow and establish partnerships to build resilience for an uncertain future.

Webinar Resources:

KEEPING THE OLIFANTS RIVER FLOWING: SYSTEMIC, COLLECTIVE ACTION DURING THE MOST SEVERE DROUGHT ON RECORD

– Sharon Pollard, Edward Riddell, Hugo Retief

Monitoring river flow and adjusting river operations is an essential management function but even more so during times of drought. We share the efforts of AWARD, SANPARKS & National DWS to keep the Olifants River flowing during the worst drought on record.

 

AN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THE OLIFANTS CATCHMENT: FACILITATING REAL-TIME MONITORING, EARLY WARNING AND SYSTEMIC DECISION-MAKING FOR WATER RESOURCES – INWARDS

– Hugo Retief & Sharon Pollard

First  real-time monitoring and integrated water resources management approach for the Olifants Catchment aimed at decision-makers and water resource practitioners.

 

OVERVIEW OF WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY IN THE OLIFANTS RIVER CATCHMENT 

– Hugo Retief & Sharon Pollard with Neil Griffin, Caroline Palmer, Stephen Mallory
& Manuel Magombeyi

This overview presents an analysis of water quality and quantity for the Olifants River Catchment in a user-friendly format.

 

PREDICTED IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON WATER RESOURCES OF THE OLIFANTS RIVER CATCHMENT

– Sharon Pollard and Hugo Retief  (Eds) with Tendai Sawunyama, Stephen Mallory & Taryn Kong

A user-friendly overview of the predicted impacts of climate change on the water resources in the Olifants Catchment.

 

FLOW TRACKER. A NEAR REAL-TIME FLOW AND DAM MONITORING APP FOR THE OLIFANTS RIVER CATCHMENT

– Hugo Retief and Sharon Pollard

Flow Tracker for the Olifants River is the first of its kind. It enables near real-time flow and dam monitoring, and includes a weather forecast facility.

 

A TURNAROUND PLAN FOR MUNICIPAL WASTE WATER TREATMENT BA-PHALABORWA LOCAL MUNICIPALITY 

– Water Group & AWARD

This project summary documents the development of a turnaround plan for Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality.