SOUTHERN WATERS ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY CC.

Registration Number: 95/011117/23
PostNet Suite 545, Private Bag #4
Sun Valley, 7985
Cape Town
South Africa

Mission Statement
To provide specialist expertise and advice on issues pertaining to the sustainable utilisation of freshwater ecosystems with particular focus on integrated flow management

COMPANY STRUCTURE
Southern Waters is an independent company with academic ties to the Institute for Water Studies Department of Earth Sciences, University of the Western Cape. The company aims to provide a service to public and private organisations in advising on the sustainable management of inland and coastal aquatic systems. At the same time, its members contribute to the body of fundamental knowledge on the structure and functioning of these ecosystems, and Southern Waters has retained a research and teaching component through its direct links with an academic institution.

Southern Waters is a Closed Corporation.  The company was formed in 1995.  

Principal consultants:
Dr Cate Brown
Dr Alison Joubert
Dr Karl Reinecke
Dr Patricia-Ann Scherman
Dr Hassan Bukhari

Support:
Ms Ncumisa Dastile-Matakane

SUMMARY OF PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Southern Waters focuses on freshwater ecosystems and, as such, has a wealth of knowledge on the nature, condition, functioning and management of rivers and other inland waters, both in southern Africa and abroad.

Southern Waters embodies the following aspects that are considered to be of direct benefit to the successful execution of projects in their area of expertise:

1. Project management experience in major water-resource projects, in particular large environmental flows assessments and implementation and integrated flow assessments and decision-making, including Mekong River Commission, environmental flow components of Integrated Basin Flow Management.
2. In-house staffing by experienced ecologists, many of whom have been instrumental in formulating key monitoring procedures for river assessment in South Africa (e.g., the DRIFT Methodology, Building Block Methodology, design and management of the River Health Programme (RHP) Database and the Reference Condition protocols for the RHP);
3. Participation as the environmental flow consultant to the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, which included the development of a major post-construction Monitoring Programme;
4. Participation as the environmental flow consultant for the Pangani Basin Flow Assessment in Tanzania;
5. Participation as the integrated flow consultant for the Okavango Basin Flow Assessment in Angola, Namibia and Botswana;
6. Participation as the integrated flow consultant in several projects for NESPAK and other clients in Kashmir, Pakistan;
7. Long-standing involvement with developmental actions associated with the SADC rivers, in particular water-resource developments and environmental flows;
8. Experience as lead consultant or participant in the assessment and monitoring of river and wetland systems across the length and breadth of southern Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe;
9. Experience in the preparation of flow management plans and for rivers, and related aspects of Integrated Water Resource Management.
10. Experience as lead external consultant in environmental flow planning activities of the Mekong River Commission, South East Asia;
11. Experience gained on Resource Economics through studies on several major southern African systems, such as the Olifants, Pangani, Senqu and Zambezi Rivers;
12. Formal and long-standing working associations with the full range of disciplines that will be required for any project related to our field of endeavour.

A list of a few of the projects in which Southern Waters has been involved can be found on the project page.

AREAS OF COMPETENCY

• Integrated flow basin management, including Environmental Flow Requirements for riverine ecosystems
• Coordination and management of large multi-disciplinary environmental flow projects, and synchronisation of the outputs
• State of Environment Reporting
• Identification and measurement of indicators of environmental sustainability
• Environmental Impact Assessment and Integrated Environmental Management
• Development and Management Plans for environmental areas
• Resource economic studies involving a range of natural systems
• Environmental Management Systems
• Monitoring of environmental compliance
• Professional review of the above.

AVAILABILITY

Long-term availability:    Southern Waters is available for projects in the next 6, 12 months or longer, subject to the nature of the project, the amount of notice given prior to the commencement of the project, and the current level of commitment of Southern Waters’ staff to existing projects.

Availability at short notice:    Southern Waters is usually available at short notice for small projects, such as professional reviews, environmental communications, etc.  Availability for larger projects is subject to current time commitments.  

INSURANCE

Southern Waters carries Professional Indemnity Insurance backed by Lombard Insurance Company Limited (Reg.No1990/001253/06) (FSP No.1596).

COMPANY CONTACT DETAILS