WISA • CEO’S COMMENT
After a tough two years, 2022 brings promise 2020 and 2021 have been incredibly hard years for many people, businesses and the water sector in general, but I am hopeful that 2022 will be better. By Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA
W
hen I first came across a computer, I always knew that it would play a significant role in people’s lives, but I never imagined that it could be your only connection to the outside world. Like many people in our industry, my meetings have been mostly online during the past two years. WISA has operated online too. We have presented a number of online webinars and training courses, as well as hosted our biennial 2020 conference virtually. While we will continue to embrace the positives of online meetings, webinars, training and conferences (affordability, time and accessibility), we are extremely excited about the prospect of being able to physically gather as an industry. Our 2022 WISA Conference
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JAN/F E B 2022
will be a hybrid event and will be hosted at the Sandton Convention Centre in September 2022. South Africa’s fourth wave of the pandemic is waning, and restrictions on public movement have mostly been lifted. Worldwide, billions of people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 and we are somewhat closer to normal than 2020. The world is also better prepared to tackle potentially bad variants than at any other point in the pandemic so far.
Hibernation is ending
After directing our energy at surviving and adjusting to the pandemic, we now need to re-energise ourselves for an exciting year. Municipal elections are concluded, and coalition governments have mostly been formed. Our new
Minister has found his feet and a permanent Director General has been appointed. The water sector is poised to attack the water crisis and implement policies, projects and new technologies that can solve many of our problems. It’s time to interact with our colleagues and friends in person, and celebrate the successes and new scientific solutions in our industry. We want to welcome in the new leadership in the Department of Water and Sanitation, pledge our support in person and formalise relationships. We are looking forward to bringing an end to any sort of stagnation caused by Covid-19. Let’s appreciate just how resilient we have been by taking a look back at how we have endured the past two years, and look forward to a productive and exciting year ahead.
