“If we do the basics right and use our water resources effectively, we would have come a long way in overcoming the country’s water problems.” This is according to Dr Kobus du Plessis, senior lecturer in Civil Engineering at Stellenbosch University. He is one of a team of academics who work in collaboration with local governments [...]
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Almost 50 percent of tap water – worth a whopping R7-billion a year – is being lost in South Africa according to a new report commissioned by the Water Research Commission (WRC). SA is one of the driest countries in the world, and one of the fastest-growing water consumers. Government is spending billions to increase [...]
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Promise of Green Jobs, Social Equity in Sustainable Water Investments
Posted on 19. Feb, 2013 by Marcus.
Enhancing the sustainability of U.S. water resources is an increasingly pressing challenge facing urban, suburban and rural communities across the U.S. Crafting and carrying out sustainable water strategies can create substantial numbers of green jobs in a wide range of professions and address the issue of social inequity, as well as problems associated with drought, [...]
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Pierre Gadonneix, the chairman of the World Energy Council (WEC), described water and land use as a huge challenge at the recent closing ceremony of the World Energy Congress in Montreal, Canada. “By 2025, 1.8-billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity,” Gadonneix said. ‘The energywater-food nexus is an important [...]
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One of the promising developments in public decision making in the recent past is the use of evidence-based information as the basis for state and local actions. The movement from what has traditionally been a political decision to real facts has the potential to restore or create a level of trust in the political process [...]
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The US water paradox: falling demand, less money for infrastructure
Posted on 23. Jan, 2013 by Marcus.
Declining demand for water across the western US has created funding problems for systems that rely on volume sales to repay infrastructure costs Spiralling demand for water, shrinking water supplies and a warming climate has the job of water manager in the US a suitable feature for NBC reality show America’s Toughest Jobs. The epicentre of [...]
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South Africa’s dwindling supplies of clean water are steadily going down the drain because of poor policing, theft, pollution, neglect and wasteful use. Government statistics released by Water Affairs Minister Edna Molewa show that more than 50 percent of purified pipe water supplies go to waste in most KwaZulu-Natal municipalities, largely from burst pipes and [...]
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There can be no sustainable development without sustainable water management
Posted on 18. Jan, 2013 by Marcus.
On 16 January, the second day of her participation in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, attended the first International Water Summit, which was organized back to back with the World Future Energy Summit, reflecting the United Arab Emirate’s commitment to sustainability. The Summit brought together policymakers, scientists, experts and [...]
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A Socially Sustainable Water Solution Could End Largest Mass Poisoning in History
Posted on 18. Jan, 2013 by Marcus.
Nearly 60 million people in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India have to rely on arsenic-contaminated groundwater for their basic needs. This has been described as the largest case of mass poisoning in human history. Arsenic slowly builds up in the body and causes cancers, painful lesions and skin burns. Arsenic also has social consequences, as arsenicosis [...]
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As the world’s largest producer of staple crops like corn and soy beans, the United States has more than a passing influence on what others around the world can afford to eat. Recent droughts in the US could lead to a hike in food prices around the world. The most current estimate of damages related [...]
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Mariette Lieferink: 
Marius Claassen: