Bosch Munitech works towards a sustainable future

South Africa is facing an increased frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change. As a result, there is a greater threat of vector-borne diseases and food, energy and water insecurity, which threatens livelihoods.

As temperatures over Africa increase more rapidly than the projected rise of global temperatures, the region is likely to experience a more drastic impact due to prevalent socio-economic issues.

“It is critical that South Africa responds to these challenges by urgently introducing programmes that include legislative reform, revision of pollution limits, proactive planning by local authorities and the launch of sectorspecific controls,” says Keshan Moodley, director, Bosch Munitech – a member of the Bosch Holdings group of multidisciplinary consulting engineering companies.

“The process of tackling climate change symptoms is difficult and complex; however, a reduction of past and future climate change is achievable via holistic thinking in terms of technical, social and monetary requirements, as well as a responsible industrial and commercial sector, backed by proper policy and implementation by government and the private sector.”

According to government’s latest Financial and Fiscal Commission report, the most vulnerable municipalities in South Africa are rural villages, small towns and secondary cities.

“Vulnerabilities of these municipalities are expected to increase due to the high levels of informal housing and the lack of efficient management of these growth areas. Rural areas are particularly vulnerable due to their dependency on climate-sensitive resources, such as water and an agrarian landscape,” says Moodley.

Climate change and water

Climate change negatively affects water availability and quality, which in turn, has a negative impact on community health. By ensuring continuous access to safe drinking water, the health impacts from waterborne diseases can be greatly minimised.

Bosch Munitech’s mitigation measures for water scarcity – water conservation and demand management projects – include municipal leak detection, the upgrading of aged infrastructure and the installation of new infrastructure. The company also recommends logging water flows to determine the demand on the water supply networks and studies on how best to reduce water usage and wastage by consumers.

Wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) that release treated effluent into rivers and oceans need to be monitored in a more proactive way, as it is now evident that viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 are transported in sewer systems. Recommended monitoring methods include scheduled sample and laboratory analysis. Sensors should be installed on effluent valves to establish if, and when, they need to open for release, especially in periods of high rainfall.

Monitoring should also include wateruse licence evaluations, which consider the testing of the effluent and the river environment into which it is released. The development of educational material and workshops for adults and children is also needed to promote water conservation and change mindsets.

Climate change poses both opportunities and threats to the wastewater reclamation sector. Processes that occur in WWTWs are affected by extreme weather events, which lead to untreated sewer overflows and increased flooding. Wastewater reclamation and reuse are becoming more promising means to conserving valuable fresh water sources, while increasing the efficiency of material utilisation.

Planning for resilience

In light of the increased occurrence of severe weather events, Bosch Munitech encourages municipalities to adapt their infrastructure planning to encompass more resilient and adaptive asset management practices in line with climate change, for more reliable forecasting of long-term infrastructure planning.

With a thorough understanding of the interactions between human activities and natural processes, the Bosch Munitech team assists the public and private sector to integrate climate change adaptation strategies into asset management practices. This is achieved mainly through risk assessments, life-cycle management projects and improved levels of service.

As a solutions-driven utility management company, Bosch Munitech provides specialist services in the municipal water and wastewater sectors, as well as for solid waste, environmental and asset management, utilities detection and laser scanning of buildings, factories and structures.