CEO’s comment

BREAKING DOWN

the Silos

As an economic enabler, water drives job creation and social upliftment; however, it is the one resource that is treated with a siloed approach from government.

From a local government perspective, water is siloed in the way it integrates with bulk suppliers and bulk users (like the agricultural sector). The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment does its own environmental planning regarding water conservation and climate change. The Department of Science and Innovation works on its own water technology innovations. The Department of Higher Education and Training – which is responsible for all of the industry-specific Sector Education Training Authorities (SETAs) – uses a siloed approach for capacity building and training for the water industry.

This silo mentality wastes resources and efficiencies where two departments often work on the same water issue but with two different approaches, and there is very little knowledge sharing.

Collaboration Collaboration and the breaking down of silos will go a long way towards averting a water crisis. It does not require additional resources and infrastructure but a commitment from everyone to work together, integrate efforts and consolidate

resources. The water industry will never have the optimal amount of funding, number of water and wastewater treatment plants, nor people on the ground. This should motivate the entire country towards collaborating and working together to solve the water crisis. There needs to be less focus on the blame game and challenges, and more emphasis on cooperation and the the integration of efforts. This cooperation does not need to happen within the water sector but within the value cycle of water.

Our sector has been internally focused; stakeholders within the sector are working well together, but we must now look outwards. The challenge lies outside – with local government, CoGTA, the agricultural and mining sectors, as well as the industrial use of water. We need to integrate, so let’s welcome everyone into the water sector and offer assistance.

Due to the very nature of water, we simply cannot solve this crisis alone.

Creating straits In keeping with the WISA 2022 Biennial Conference and Exhibition’s naval theme – #NavigatingTheCourse – I want to encourage the water industry to build straits with other government entities and industries, as well as the public. A strait is an oceanic landform connecting two seas or two other large areas of water.

Let us use this conference to extend hands to entities that are outside the water sector. We simply cannot carry this heavy burden by ourselves. There needs to be collective responsibility and collective decision-making regarding water.

Every industry, every company and every single human being needs water. And yet, for the most part, water is not a shared responsibility. It is a responsibility the water industry typically bears alone.

By Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA