Displaying items by tag: Southern Waters Consulting - Projects 2007

Environmental Water Requirement determinations for a suite of coastal rivers (Moordkuils, Groot Brak, Maalgate, Gwaing, Kaaimans, Goukamma and Noetsie) two estuaries and groundwater in the Outeniqua region of SA, with a strong capacity-building component.  The project has been extended to include design of integration methods for river, estuary, wetlands and groundwater reserve assessments, information provision for the Classification Process and guidelines for implementation.

River Health and Environmental Flow data provision and advice related to the proposed Polihali Dam on the Senqu River.  Co-ordination of all downstream ecological activities, input to decision-making procedures, dam design adjustments and operating rules for the proposed dam.

The objectives of the Pangani Basin Baseline Flow Assessment (FA) Study were to generate baseline data of the condition of the Pangani River system against which the impact of water-related decision-making can be monitored in future; enhance the understanding of the relationship between flow, the river and people among PBWO and MWLD staff; create an awareness of the links between flow and the trade-offs that need to be made in water allocation; develop simple tools to help guide flow management and water allocations in the Pangani Basin; build capacity that will enable PWBO to act as a nucleus of expertise for FA-related work in other areas; support the National Water Policy (NAWAPO_2002) and the National Environmental Management Act (2004).  The project included the design and operation of the Pangani Flows DSS, which was used to assess various (at this stage 18) scenarios related to water resource development and provide information on hydrological, sector allocations, impacts on rivers, wetlands, lakes and the estuary, social impacts related to those impacts and various economic (direct) indicators, specifically those related to HEP, agriculture and ecosystem services

Project Leader and Editor:  Multi-authored book on the history of the management of Cape Town’s rivers, including options of future planning and management.

Freshwater specialist and advisor: A Feasibility Study and Pilot Project into the viability of the TMG Aquifer for bulk water supply to Cape Town, more particularly the deep confined portions of the Peninsula Formation.  Duties included evaluation of proposed well-field sites, design of a monitoring programme to assess future possible impacts of abstraction from the TMG aquifer on rivers and wetlands in the area and review of the subsequent monitoring activities, which have been outsourced.  This project is likely to continue into the future, to encompass establishment of pilot well-field and adaptive management of large-scale water abstraction for supply to Cape Town.

Knowledge management, including:  Information and data management and process design for the Environmental Flow Assessments.  Including database design, population and presentation of results for Phases 2 and 3 of the MRC’s IBFM Programme. Also a review of Decision Support Systems/Models (DSS) designed to show the social, environmental and economic costs and benefits of various kinds of basin development.

Environmental Flow Specialist: A comprehensive study of the water resources supplying the Knysna Metropolitan Area leading to a Strategy for meeting the town’s water requirements in a sustainable manner.

Advisor: Advisor on Reserve-related issues pertaining to Western Cape rivers, including determination, classification, operation rules and monitoring.