President’s comment

With South Africa now firmly in the grip of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, we need to be even more resourceful in responding to our multifaceted socioeconomic challenges.

Staying interconnected and relevant

This is a time of unprecedented turmoil; however, our combined experiences have also served as a catalyst for positive change. We are now seeing this as communities, professions, government and business come together in a new and encouraging form of solidarity.

Our annual on-site IMESA Conference has always served as the ideal platform for this type of engagement. For this reason, we were determined to proceed with the 2021 conference on a virtual platform, having had to cancel the on-site 2020 event. All this is possible, thanks to Industry 4.0 and virtual conferencing technology.

This year’s first virtual IMESA Conference is confirmed for 17 to 19 November 2021, with the theme ‘Synergy through Engineering’. This theme is especially relevant within the Covid-19 environment, as the world strives to combat climate change and re-engineer our infrastructure landscape.

Joint International Conference

As originally planned for 2020, this year’s event is a joint international conference co-organised by IMESA and the International Association for Water, Environment, Energy and Society (IAWEES). The conference is also endorsed by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and is CPD accredited.

Founded in 2016, IAWEES is an international non-profit organisation established to promote research and develop processes and technologies. In addition to South Africa, diverse countries represented include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Tunisia, the UK and USA. The objective is to share global best practices.

Professor Kobus du Plessis, director: Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering at Stellenbosch University, represents South Africa on IAWEES’s international executive body and is a Fellow of IMESA.

Based on the local and international papers presented, this is going to be one of our best IMESA Conferences yet, with an exciting and interactive programme. Going the virtual route has its benefits, since there are no time and cost constraints in terms of travel and accommodation. Hopefully, that will enable a strong representation from across South Africa’s 278 municipalities, all of whom play a crucial role in service delivery and socioeconomic enablement.

IFME’s global perspective

The quest for excellence is never easy, which is why international knowledge sharing is so important. This was underscored during a recent International Federation of Municipal Engineering (IFME) meeting in May 2021. I attended virtually as the South African representative.

Evolving urban patterns was a common viewpoint shared by IFME member countries attending. Prime examples include how the growing work-from-home culture is influencing city planning. If remote working becomes a more permanent feature – as many believe it will – this will influence key areas. These include reverse migration from cities, and transportation planning.

In countries worse affected by the virus, the focus – as in South Africa – is on economic recovery plans, with public infrastructure investment a key driver. That will certainly be a central topic for our 2021 IMESA Conference, as we address the pressing issues of improved service delivery within the local government arena.

Delegate conference registration is now open, and there’s an early-bird rate for those who book and pay before 31 August 2021. This year, we look forward to welcoming you virtually.

Bhavna Soni, president, IMESA