Water resource research
relating to environmental sustainability
Water is life, and research on this vital environmental resource is crucial for water policy and management decisions.
Water systems and water quality research
The Institute for Water Research (IWR) conducts research on the structure, function and components of natural water systems, with the aim of contributing to the knowledge of and promoting the understanding and wise use of natural water resources in southern Africa. For example, the IWR has been involved in developing and applying ecological risk assessment in South African water resource management, creating a model for assessing utilizable streamflow allocations in the context of the ecological reserve, and researching ecological responses to changing flow patterns using the national biomonitoring database.
Explore research opportunities: IWR
Aquatic research
The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) is a National Facility within the National Research Foundation (NRF) and is an affiliated research institute of Rhodes University. Research addresses diverse concerns within the aquatic realm, including the impact of invasive aquatic organisms on freshwater ecosystems, the freshwater requirements of fishes in estuaries, and the monitoring of the coastal marine environment through the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) Elwandle Node.
Explore research opportunities: SAIAB and SAEON
River catchment research
The Catchment Research Group (CRG) in the Geography Department has been active in research with the communities in the Kat River Valley since 1997. Researchers and communities are engaged in an ongoing partnership that is of benefit to both parties. The Kat River project has been acclaimed as "pioneering approaches to participating in integrated water resource management" by the Water Research Commission (WRC). The WRC has funded three further projects on stakeholder participation in catchment management, the most recent having been initiated by the stakeholders in the catchment. This pilot project aims to develop methods for the cooperative evolution of a catchment management strategy that involves stakeholders, government agencies, and specialists. The significance of this project is that it represents a move towards real devolution of decision-making from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry to the stakeholders themselves. Researches from the Institute for Water Research and the CGR have been assisting the Kat River Water User Association to develop a Catchment Management Plan – to be submitted to the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry for approval – that will guide water allocations in future. Research in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) has also been applied to water resource management, together with fluvial geomorphology, environmental hydrology, and environmental impact assessment specifically Visual Impact Assessment.
Explore research opportunities: Geography
Go to the Rhodes University ENVIRONMENT front page. Suggestions/Questions? Contact environment(at)ru.ac.za
