Research themes within the
Institute for Water Research (IWR)
and the
Unilever Centre for Environmental Water Quality (UCEWQ)

The Institute has expertise in several areas within the broad field of water resource science, including hydrology, integrated water resource management, freshwater ecology, water quality and toxicology, biomonitoring, the management of water services and community education. The combination of research and practical problem solving within the IWR allows recently developed research methods to be rapidly deployed for water resource planning and management. Within the field of ecology, the Institute has focused on understanding the processes and requirements of aquatic ecosystems and the effects of flow variability. Much of the work has been directed at assessing the environmental water quantity and quality requirements of rivers, an important component of the 'Reserve' determination process designed to ensure the sustainable use of water resources under the national Water Act of 1998.

The Unilever Centre for Environmental Water Quality (UCEWQ) focuses on ecotoxicology, biomonitoring and water chemistry. Ecotoxicology at the IWR concentrates on determining the tolerances of indigenous riverine macroinvertebrates and algae, under controlled laboratory conditions, to selected water quality variables and complex effluents. Ecotoxicolgy is included in an integrated approach to assessing the water quality of a water resource and is being practically applied to evaluate the effects of industrial effluents on rivers. UCEWQ is actively involved in the development of policies and strategies for improving the quality of the nation's freshwater resources.

While the list below identifies the main research themes and subject disciplines, it should be emphasized that the IWR and UCEWQ encourage inter-disciplinary approaches as far as possible.

Ecotoxicology (UCEWQ)

Water Quality (UCEWQ)

Hydrology and Water Resource Assessment, including:

Hydrological models and software

Water Resource Assessment Uncertainty Analysis

Climate Change Adaptation and Decision-Support System

Ecology and Environmental Flow Management:

The Ecological 'Reserve' in South Africa