20 minute read
Focus on water
FOCUS ON WATER
BY DHESIGEN NAIDOO, CEO OF WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION (WRC)
WATER SUSTAINABILITY
The science & technology dividend
Water security has been a human occupation since the beginning of time. In fact our transition from a nomadic species to settlement was only possible for Homo Sapiens when our ancestors developed an ability to access and store water to enable year round habitation in one place.
This gave confidence to invest in agriculture and the rest, as they say, is history. And yet, all these millennia later water security continues to be elusive. We have just been through a prolonged drought episode, on the back of climate change, with parts of the country continuing to experience extreme water scarcity. The Global Risk Register of the World Economic Forum has had water security through the notion of ‘water crisis’ as one of the top five risks to the global economy for nine years in a row.
We add to this the fact that we are experiencing an unprecedented global pandemic. This Nouvelle Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, or COVID 19, has rapidly overwhelmed the global agenda. And water has taken centre-stage in the containment of infections strategy all over the world as we try to flatten the infection curve. All the protocols indicate that regular washing and personal hygiene is a key line of defence against the spread of the virus. And as a consequence, handwashing campaigns have become the highest priority in national interventions. This crisis has put a magnifying glass on the issues of water security and safe sanitation access. All of the
scorecards associated with the Sustainable Development Goal for water and sanitation indicate that progress is not as rapid as we had hoped. And once again, world-wide, but mainly in the Global South, we are still well off target. Even countries with enviable access track records, like South Africa, are found wanting in terms of the last mile of interventions to get to the goal of universal access and sustainability of the interventions already implemented.
With personal and collective hygiene being the cornerstone of the containment strategy – access to safe water, hygienic sanitation services and reliable wastewater treatment become paramount.
It emphasises once again the modern day paradox. Never before have we had access to so much scientific knowledge. The water science community of practice has been hard at work consistently increasing the rate of scientific publications in this domain at a rate of thirty percent a year for the past twenty years. We have the scientific knowhow to engage the principle challenges throughout the water and sanitation value chains. And yet the primary obstacle continues to be the fact that the water sector is suffering from pathological conservatism. This sector continuously tries to solve 21st century problems with 20th century technologies and 19th century operating rules.
Add to this COVID 19 with the important risks associated with this pandemic, and exacerbated by a sluggish global and local economy, is the almost inevitable decreasing of the momentum in the achieving of many development targets including the Sustainable Development Goals. There is a high probability that the SDG 6 targets for water and sanitation, will have to be beyond 2030. This together with the concomitant slowing down of the other SDGs means a delaying of the global development agenda to at least ensure the end of global hunger and universal access to the basic services that South Africa deems basic human rights.
But, with brave choices and a courageous strategy we have the opportunity to do exactly the opposite. We can, in fact, accelerate our efforts toward the SDGs in the medium term, and be firmly on the pathway to sustainable development and a lower carbon economy in the long term. The catalyst will be the mainstreaming of revolutionary and innovative water and sanitation management.
The technology toolbox is deep and promising. We have better water augmentation options with
Dr Dhesigen Naidoo
CEO of Water Research Commission
smarter water harvesting systems that are integrated for economies of scale. Advances in materials technology ensure tank linings that are safer and better oriented to deal with water storage quality risks. Advanced manufacturing means that new tanks make for better building fit both functionally and aesthetically.
The 4IR suite of tools mean that water management can finally enter the 21st century. A combination of remote sensing, earth observation and digitalization means better and more accurate detection of groundwater. The remote sensing suite combined with the internet of things and big data management will organize for pragmatic and empowering real time management of the water system.
From monitoring of crop water use to the digital management of wastewater treatment plants to leaks detection and repair. From the monitoring of the integrity of pipes to ensure on time maintenance to prevent major breaks and downtime, to intelligent pressure management. Smart meters and intelligent billing will also enable demand management in the hands of the consumer for better efficiencies and higher water security.
The Brown revolution and the Sanitation Transformation Initiative or SaniTITM is our best option to achieve and sustain the SDG6 goal of universal access to safe and dignified sanitation. Innovative toilet systems that are either dry or low flush catalyzed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Reinvent the Toilet Programme, and the smart research and innovation investments by the Water Research Commission, will eventually become the mainstream toilet solution for all.
The real innovation that will accelerate the both rollout of sanitation to all, as well industrialize the sector, lies at the back end. Non-sewered sanitation is a technology platform whose time has come. It immediately deals with water and energy limitations as a conventional high cost water borne sewerage system will no longer be required in favour of local decentralized waste treatment.
And the attractive prospect of beneficiation of the waste into high value products that will seed businesses and industrial platforms. The foundation for the achievement of sustainability lies in the adoption of the Water Sensitive Design approach in planning new settlements from rural towns to large cities. Core to the ideology is water selfsufficiency. Implementation of the full suite of water harvesting, water demand management and recycling measures means that the urban environment draws less water out of the catchment.
Through the installation of local wastewater treatment works and artificially wetlands, the quality of water leaving the town should be as good or even better to what was abstracted in the first place. The possibility is high for both higher levels of water security
with respect to both quantity and quality. If we add to the mix renewable energy dominance and general waste recycling the ecological footprints of towns and cities will be dramatically reduced with big pluses for the environment and the sustainable development agenda.
But we are in the midst of a global emergency. This is the moment when all around the world countries are investing in strategies to deal with unsafe water and poor sanitation, the key COVID risk factors. Clean water and safe sanitation and wastewater treatment are core to the containment strategy. This is enjoying political attention in the public sector and huge focus in the private sector as we brace ourselves to deal with this crisis. This is therefore the right time to engage in catalytic actions to leap-frog the current situation toward achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation with concomitant, smarter, eco-friendly waste and wastewater treatment.
This should be complemented by the industrialization of the beneficiation of waste and wastewater to produce fertilizers, energy, high value chemicals, lipids and proteins.
These actions will prove transformative – economically, socially and environmentally. There are some critical success factors. Firstly, we have to heighten our efforts to translate the vast repository of scientific and technological knowledge in this domain to tangible products and services for immediate use on the ground. There will have to be substantive support to product and business development and an overhaul of our archaic regulatory rules and operating procedures. Secondly, we need new economic models to effect large scale implementation and sustainable operations and maintenance.
Thirdly, we need to bolster our partnerships between science and society, governments and business, local and international. Using these interventions the transformation of water and sanitation could catalyse our development trajectory into one of sustainable development. Now is the right moment to invest in this change.” n
GOVERNMENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
BY JESSIE TAYLOR
CREATING ECONOMIC WAVES THROUGH
MARINE INVESTMENTS
With almost 4000 kilometres of coastline, South Africa is uniquely placed to harness the potential of our marine economy. As a means of driving economic growth, the government’s Operation Phakisa programme looks to build focus sectors while securing valuable marine resources.
Operation Phakisa, meaning “hurry up” in Sesotho, is modelled on the success of the Malaysian “Big Fast Results” methodology. The approach, launched in July 2014, includes working with stakeholders to develop detailed and practical plans. These delivery plans allow the government to fast track implementation, in numerous key ocean economy sectors. The programme looks to harness the largely untapped economic potential of the ocean, surrounding South Africa on three sides. The industries that have been highlighted as focus areas include tourism, fishing, shipping transport, ship repair and building, and oil and gas exploration.
Protecting marine resources
But growing a blue economy cannot exist without protecting the resources on which it relies. To this end, the government has created an overarching plan to protect the ocean environment from all illegal activities, as well as increase exclusion zones to protect the ecosystem from overfishing. Under Operation Phakisa, 20 new Marine Protected Areas were established to provide protection to 90% of habitat types, as well as contribute to global protection in line with South Africa’s international commitments. This brings the percentage of the marine ecosystem under protection to 5.4%, from 0.4% The new network of Marine Protected Areas will assist in increasing fisheries sustainability and maintaining resilience in ecosystems that are under stress from climate change.
“Marine Protected Areas provide safe spaces in which fish can breed undisturbed. They are essential to maintain ecocertification of the South African deep-sea trawl fishery. This certification process assesses whether habitat and nursery areas for the hake fishery, are adequately protected,” said Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy.
Enforcement forms a large part of the protection plan and law enforcement agencies have a role to play in protecting South
Africa’s marine resources. This has seen numerous multiple agencies taking part in the Operation Phakisa Enhanced and Coordinated Compliance and Enforcement Programme, which aims to increase its visibility in the coastal zones and addressing a range of illegal activities. Between April 2017 and March 2018 alone, over R40 million worth of goods were confiscated during these operations.
Changing the tide on job creation
The next step in developing a blue economy lies in enabling growth in key sectors, through concentrated infrastructure investments and job creation projects.
Enabling the fishing activity has been the first step in generating jobs and bolstering economic activity. Under Operation Phakisa, the government has committed to upgrading 12 small harbours in the Western Cape with a budget of over R400 million. The upgrades include the removal of sunken vessels, dredging, repairs and upgrades to slipways, security improvements, and infrastructure repairs. One of the focus areas for Operation Phakisa in the development of the aquaculture sector. Aquaculture contributes to almost half of the global fish supply, yet it contributes less than 1% of South Africa’s fish supply.
This sector is vital in supporting rural development and reducing poverty and has already seen a large private investment of more than R400 million. The government is working on projects to boost the sector’s growth and support the increasing demand for fish and other marine products. This has resulted in the creation of 28 new projects since 2014.
Investments have also been made into various dry docks around the country. Over R60-million was recently invested in the upgrading of dry docks in Port Elizabeth, and a multimillion-rand overhaul of Port of Cape Town’s ship repair facilities is underway. There are also plans to improve both the harbour and ship repair facilities in Mossel Bay. These projects are just a few of those with the potential to reverse poverty within coastal communities. The oceans economy has the potential to be a game-changer for South Africa. Projections put the potential job creation at close to one million jobs by 2033, while the sector could contribute as much as contribute R177 billion to South Africa’s gross domestic product.
In the 2020/21 period, around 1550 jobs were created through the Oceans Economy Operation Phakisa programme. It is anticipated that around 6 200 jobs will be created by 2024.
These projections highlight the importance of ongoing investment into the marine environment, not only to secure sustainable resources but also to ensure ongoing economic growth.. n
Barbara Creecy
Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries
GAUTENG MEC FOR FINANCE AND E-GOVERNMENT: MS NOMANTU NKOMO-RALEHOKO | ADVERTORIAL
Gauteng reacts to technological disruption through digitisation
As technological advancements are disrupting every industry, the Gauteng Provincial Government is gearing itself up for digital transformation by digitising all government services. This is the vision set out by the sixth administration to develop a ‘Smart’ government which delivers all services online. There is no better time to realise this vision as South Africa continues to weather the storm of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that threatens human life. Technology has become an important factor in minimising human contact which is the cause for the rapid spread of the virus. Technology allows people to keep in contact with each other without any physical contact and it allows organisations to continue to deliver services using a wide range of online platforms.
This has kept the country going especially during the lockdown period. In the last six years, the Gauteng Provincial Government made a substantial investment in building technological infrastructure. This allows citizens to interact with the government from anywhere and through multiple channels thereby enabling citizens to access government services from wherever they are through their smart devices or computers, at their convenience.
As the country moves to a level one stage in managing the pandemic, the need to engender and entrench digital transformation of the province and the modernisation of the public service becomes crucial. For all of this to be possible, Gauteng established a new department called the Gauteng Department of e-Government (e-Gov) as the first provincial department of its kind in the country. The Department has identified 5 strategic pillars to bring about this transformation and realise the
modernisation agenda. These pillars form the bedrock of delivery and in 6 short years the Department has made phenomenal progress. These pillars are:
• Modernised ICT infrastructure and connectivity • Digital platform , e-Services and applications • Provincial ICT oversight and governance • ICT solutions advocacy, facilitation and communication • ICT industry stimulation and skills development
Modernised ICT infrastructure andconnectivity (Pillar 1)
Gauteng Broadband Network The Gauteng Broadband Network (GBN) provides connectivity through an access network that is made up of last mile fibre, wireless microwave technology and APN 3G/4G solution (for temporary connectivity). This access network provides connectivity at a speed of 100Mbps (Megabits per second) per site. The Department has provided end-to-end broadband connectivity to 1204 government sites throughout the province. The efficiencies that resulted from the roll out of the network include, reduced telephony costs in the province and 98% availability of the broadband.
Cloud Infrastructure The Department established the Fully Managed Data Centre, to consolidate GPG infrastructure, applications and data in a single data repository, to reduce the cost of ICT infrastructure in the province. The Department has migrated the data of all 14 departments to the Fully Managed Data Centre and is currently in the process of migrating the remaining departmental entities into it. The Department is in the process of implementing a hybrid public/private cloud solution for the province.
Cyber security The Department has established a Security Operations Centre for the province and is implementing an improved Security Operations Centre (SOC) in the 2021/22 financial year. The SOC is one of the security tools employed to protect the provincial ICT ecosystem. In addition, the Department employs a variety of
cybersecurity tools and products to combat new cybersecurity threats and has piloted multi factor authentication for users in the provincial ICT environment to further enhance the security protocols of the province.
Digital platform, e-Services and applications (Pillar 2)
The Department has consolidated all the provincial government websites into a single Digital Platform. The Digital Platform provides a single window for citizens to access government services and information and aims to provide a common environment shared by multiple e-Government services to save citizen costs, time and visits to government departments. The Digital Platform currently hosts in excess of 93 government services and is actively working on ensuring that all government services can be accessed from the Digital Platform. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the process of ensuring that citizens are able to access and interact with the government from the comfort and safety of their homes.
A total of 17 new services have been placed on the platform since the start of the pandemic.
Provincial ICT oversight and governance (Pillar 3)
The Department has strengthened and enhanced the ICT oversight and governance of the province through the development of a number of critical provincial ICT policies and strategies. These include the following:
• The ICT Master Systems Plan • The ICT Continuity Management Framework
• ICT Norms and Standards • The Cybersecurity Strategy • The Gauteng ICT Skills Development Strategy and The Big Data Strategy
The Department has facilitated the establishment of a provincial 4IR Panel which comprises a number of leaders in the ICT field to support the transition of the province into the 4th Industrial revolution. The Panel is currently in the process of drafting a 4IR Strategy for the province.
ICT solutions advocacy, facilitation and communication (Pillar 4)
The Department has promoted the utilisation and roll out of Employee Self Services. Employee Self Service has been rolled out to all provincial government departments. All e-services developed and facilitated by the Department, and which are on the Digital Platform, are actively promoted.
ICT industry stimulation and skills development (Pillar 5)
A crucial component of the digital transformation of the province and the modernisation of the public service is ensuring that our citizens as well as provincial government staff have the necessary skills to successfully operate within this environment. In this regard the Department has, in 2019, developed the Gauteng ICT Skills Development Strategy to address skills development for the youth in data analytics, the internet-of-things, block chain and machine learning, to enable training of young people to develop and operate new technologies. Since then the Department has supported 1657 youth, 6529 staff and 95 townshipbased ICT entrepreneurs through various ICT skills development programmes and this will continue to be a priority for the Department. In terms of stimulating the economy the Department achieved a phenomenal 51% of its procurement spend on RFQs below R500 000 on township suppliers
How far are we in creating a ‘Smart’ Government?
The department has continued to digitise government services and to date the department has collaborated with other Provincial Departments, National Departments and Municipalities to ensure that citizens continue to receive seamless services. This is mostly through the Gauteng Digital Platform which is a website that houses various online services. It is accessed through the www.gauteng.gov.za URL. In the last two years, the Department has gone live with more than 30 new e-Services on the platform that are for Government, Business and Citizens. The Gauteng Digital platform has more than 100 e-Services with +5 Mobile APPS and a Zero Rated USSD *134*GPGSA# *134*47472# that allows all stakeholders to consume services anytime and anywhere at their own comfort.
While essential services such as those that relate to the education sector are data free. e-Gov is in discussion with different institutions of higher learning, such as the Design and Validation Centre (DAV Centre), the University of the Witwatersrand, Tshimologong Innovation Precinct, the University of Johannesburg and TVET colleges to create partnerships to champion the aspects of the 4IR, such as research, skills development, promote innovation for the delivery of government services , test all the technology that is deployed in the province such as the Grade 1 and 8 school registration system, as well as develop township entrepreneurs within the ICT sector.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact the projects in 2020?
e-Gov has remained on course
with its implementation of projects to modernise the provincial government. Yes, we were not prepared for such a massive change but this has boosted our existence extensively. We have had more work added to our plate in the form of ensuring that the province staff is well prepared for remote working. In most cases employees and managers have now reached working arrangements that allow the continued delivery of services. Through the Department, the province has provided connectivity infrastructure to ensure business continuity during this time of disaster. The pandemic propelled the uptake of our current ICT infrastructure and e-Services.
For example we have developed a prescreening application to ensure that employees and clients are screened when they access our buildings, enabling monitoring and easier contact tracing. We have provided systems that enabled the Department of Education to provide home learning content, and school material for all grades as well as Big Data analytical systems on grade and school performance. The Department provided an updated recruitment platform that ensured that at least over 7000 youth brigades were deployed to assist in providing the necessary administrative support to the government to enforce health and safety protocols in schools. The Department activated 21 698 Microsoft Teams User Licenses; to enable off site working for government employees. We have succeeded in ensuring that the data and Information Technology of the province remained secure, robust, reliable, available and trusted during this period.
Challenges that we are facing in the digital sphere
The government fiscus is shrinking every year. This is having a negative impact on our role to digitise services. Key critical ICT skills are hard to find. It is difficult for the government to compete with the private sector for these skills. We have, however, invested in ICT skills development programmes which are going to assist us create our own set of skills. Last year, we conducted various skills programmes across Gauteng. These were well received by young people and we are planning on conducting more this year.
What have we planned for the remainder of the term of administration?
The key projects planned for the year are as follows:
• Continue with government service digitisation while closing the digital divide i.e. Implementing e-tendering to increase visibility of procurement and e-Invoicing • Continue to empower SMMEs in ICT Sector Skills through various support programmes and skills development initiatives • Develop and implement the provincial e-Waste Strategy • Take ICT training to the community through government funded on line courses • Develop and Implement the provincial 4IR Strategy • Increase Gauteng Broadband Network Infrastructure through alternative funding mechanisms, including the commercialisation of the network • Implement a hybrid Cloud solution for the province • Enhance the capabilities of a new Security Operations Centre
We don’t know what the future holds for us but we all need to get ready for a new world order. We will defeat this virus but it will leave us with deep scars in our hearts. However, from this, we embrace what digitisation offers to the modern society.
Government shouldn’t be behind, but lead in this transformation phase. n
CONTACT DETAILS: Physical Address:
Imbumba House 75 Fox Street Johannesburg South Africa, 2001
Postal Address:
Private Bag X112 Marshaltown Johannesburg 2107 Telephone Number: 011 689 6000 Fax Number: 011 355 2112
Email:
egovcommunications@ gauteng.gov.za Website: www.gauteng.gov.za
