IMIESA April 2022

Page 7

PRESIDENT’S COMMENT

Engineering climate change responses that work The heavy rainfall experienced across South Africa in recent months is incomparable with the catastrophic floods in KwaZulu-Natal and par ticularly within eThekwini during April 2022. A massive response is required to restore essential ser vices immediately, and then to respond during the rebuild process with infrastructure resilient to climate change.

T

he tragic number of lives lost, and the knock-on effect in terms of damage to homes, livelihoods, the environment, and supporting infrastructure is on an unprecedented scale. The severity of the event is underscored by government’s decision to declare a National State of Disaster, which will mobilise funding and support more effectively for reconstruction. This will include interventions in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and in parts of the Eastern Cape that have also recently experienced flood damage. From a municipal engineering perspective, a massive response is required and the cost is estimated to run into the billions, so making the solutions future-proof is well worth the investment.

Future scenario modelling In terms of current and future spatial planning, we need more advanced research on extreme weather predictions along the lines of those countries that need to design and build for potential seismic activity in earthquake zones – not easy, of course, given the extensive unpredictability of climate change impacts. But with the information we do have available, we can certainly construct far more robust structures. As municipal

engineers, we also need to urgently address the pressing issue of informal settlements within our towns and cities. These settlements occur wherever open land is available, irrespective of whether it is above or below a known floodplain. It’s a potential disaster waiting to happen and can and should be prevented. Of equal importance is the regular updating of municipal asset management registers, with examples including transportation infrastructure, and water and sanitation networks. Preventative and predictive maintenance is a key factor in ensuring the current and future sustainability of the municipal landscape.

Engagement and ethics From IMESA’s perspective, our role is to assist and empower our members and to work within the three spheres of government to make municipal engineering processes and projects more efficient and effective. This is crucial for the successful implementation of South Africa’s economic reconstruction and recovery plan, and the revitalisation of our construction industry. Plus, the recent KZN disaster makes this even more of a priority. Within this context, our responsibility as engineers is to ensure that every design is fit for purpose, and compliant with all applicable

standards and specifications. To ensure that this happens in a uniform way, all built environment professionals must adhere to a strict ethical code. Within our sector, one of my objectives as the 2020-22 IMESA President has been to propose that the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) makes adherence to ethics a compulsory requirement for registration.

85th IMESA Conference In the meantime, our organising committee is now well advanced on the project and programme management phases for the upcoming 85th IMESA Conference. Delegate registration opens on 3 May 2022, with early-bird rates up for grabs. This year’s theme – ‘Adapting to our changing world’ – has never been more relevant, as we engineer our way through climate change, and the fallout from global conflicts, to hopefully build a better future. Bhavna Soni, president, IMESA

IMIESA April 2022

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Bell starts roll-out of JCB roller demos

3min
page 54

EIE Group becomes CFAO Equipment

3min
page 57

Versatile scalper performs optimally

1min
page 53

ELB adopts telematics across its range

1min
pages 55-56

Stemming leaks on a tailings thickener

2min
page 52

Breathing new life into a historic building

2min
page 49

Plein Street revamp revitalises an old landmark

3min
page 48

Generating hydropower within municipal water networks

5min
pages 40-41

Nooitgedacht Low Level Water Supply Scheme achieves ‘first water’

7min
pages 42-45

Enabling a just transition and sustainable communities

3min
page 35

Weld mesh sets new gabion trend

5min
pages 32-34

Deep tunnel sewerage systems: Singapore’s success story

9min
pages 36-39

Labour-based construction in Zambia: recent policy developments

4min
pages 30-31

Remote learning connects and empowers

3min
page 29

N2 Wild Coast investments benefit communities

2min
pages 27-28

Getting it right the first time

6min
pages 16-17

Bitumen faces an uncertain future

5min
pages 14-15

Concrete pavements have come a long way

3min
pages 24-25

Infrastructure news from around the continent

5min
pages 12-13

Ensuring security of bitumen supply

2min
page 26

Road Maintenance Forum committed to best practices

6min
pages 22-23

President’s comment

2min
page 7

Editor’s comment

4min
pages 5-6
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