Water Research Commission: briefing;Mozambique & Namibia Study Tour: discussion

Meeting report

LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE
28 May 2003
WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION: BRIEFING; STUDY TOUR TO MOZAMBIQUE AND NAMIBIA: DISCUSSION

Chairperson: Rev P Moatshe

Documents handed out:
The Water Research Commission and its role
Research addressing sanitation and the poor
Research to address optimum use of water by agriculture, aquaculture and forestry
Aquatic ecosystem research, within the broader scope of the crosscutting domain: Water and the Environment
Research in support of groundwater conservation
Water Quality Contamination and Protection

SUMMARY
The Water Research commission briefed the Committee on a range of issues relating to research currently being carried out and problem areas facing the commission. Issues presented included, the Water Research Commission and its role, research into sanitation, aquatic ecosystems and groundwater conservation. The meeting ended with a very brief discussion on the up and coming study tour to Mozambique and Namibia.

MINUTES
Water Research Commission (WRC) Presentations
The WRC and its role presented by George Green, Deputy CEO
Please refer to document for further details

Research addressing sanitation and the poor presented by Jay Bhagwan, Director: Water use and waste management
Please refer to document for further details

Research to address the optimum use of water by agriculture, aquaculture and forestry presented by Gerhard Backeberg, Director:Water Utilization in agriculture
Please refer to document for further details

Aquatic ecosystem research, within the broader scope of the crosscutting domain: Water and the environment, presented by Dr Heather Mackay
Please refer to document for further details

Research in support of groundwater conservation presented by a representative of the Commission
Please refer to document for further details

Discussion
Mr van Niekerk (NNP) asked why there has not been substantial budget allocations towards the field of aquaculture?

Mr Backeberg stated that not much research had been conducted within the field of aquaculture. However, there are baseline studies being carried out into aquaculture and food security with budgets of five hundred and fifty thousand. In addition to this, there is the study in conjunction with Stellenbosch to the value of one million Rands on the topic of assessing what impact dams stocked with fish had on agriculture.

A member asked how and to what extent did research cover the problem of disease.

Mr Bhagwan stated that the commission was not directly involved in investigating disease, however they were researching the barriers to the eradication of disease, be it social, technical or institutional. Good sanitation was cheaper than medical treatment. The commission was concerned with the quality of water and the health of the environment

The same member asked what the tools through which the commission hoped to promote hygienic behaviour were and what were the different types of sanitation models spoken of in the presentations.

Mr Bhagwan stated that the commission did not want to use coercion in order to make sure people adhere to hygienic behaviour instead the commission intended to employ the correct methodology in order to understand attitudes. He pointed out the example whereby cholera was spread through water highlighting the need for education of the diseases. The commission wished to empower a person through knowledge. On clarifying what was meant by the different types of sanitation models, he stated that when he referred to models in his presentation he was actually talking about software packages, but added that there were clear guidelines around sanitation and it was a matter of choosing the best technological option according to the context.

Mr Sulliman (ANC)asked to what extent was river water flowing into the sea a problem? Do we lose too much water that could have been used for human consumption? Dr Mackay said that not all the water could be caught for human use otherwise the natural ecological processes in that area would suffer. She pointed out the example whereby certain fisheries rely on the areas where the river runs into the sea. She described this tension between the amount of water needed to maintain natural systems and the amount humans should extract for their own use as the ecological reserve.

A member asked to what extent were alien plants a problem.

A representative of the WRC stated that they often used more water and take away goods and services from indigenous plants.

Study Tour to Mozambique and Namibia
The committee briefly discussed which members would go on the study tour. It was decided that three ANC members, one DA and one UDM members would go. The possible date for the study tour would be somewhere in July.

Meeting was adjourned.