The Water Research Commission

Ensuring that decisions about water are informed by science and technology. By Engela Duvenage.

The Water Research Commission, which in 2021 celebrated its 50th anniversary, is a valuable knowledge partner to the deciduous-fruit industry.

Over the years, the Commission has fully funded many important industry-related projects involving researchers at various South African universities and research entities. Together with Hortgro, it recently co-funded a large project to calculate the water requirement of apple trees. A project on the water use of plum trees is ongoing, with another on pears approved for 2022.

Prof. Wiehann Steyn, general manager of Hortgro Science, says such major, multifaceted projects require deep pockets, and can only be completed thanks to equal funding contributions by the Commission and Hortgro.

“We hope the partnership will allow us to complete similar co-funded projects for peaches, apricots and cherries in coming years,” he adds.

Strategic partnerships drive strategic research

Partnerships are at the heart of the principles that drive the Commission. It was established in 1971 through South Africa’s Water Resource Act with the vision to ensure highly informed decision-making around water through science and technology at all levels, among all stakeholder groups, and to provide innovative water and sanitation solutions through research and development for South Africa, Africa, and the world.

Its key strategic areas are water utilisation in agriculture; water resources and ecosystems; and water use and waste management. The Water Research Commission drives innovation and business development in these fields, and builds international linkages.

Prof. Sylvester Mpandeli is the executive manager responsible for the Water Utilisation in Agriculture Key Strategic Area at the Water Research Commission. He sees clear benefits to working relationships with commodity groupings such as Hortgro.

“It helps to drive our research, development and innovation in an integrated, or nexus way. Gone are the days of a linear research approach. Research must be driven through a multidisciplinary approach. We are facing many issues, such as socio-economic issues and the depletion of natural resources, extreme climatic events, high climate variability and change, population increases and the likes. We are responsible to make sure that we bring industries, government departments, the private sector, NGOs and academic institutions on board.”

Mpandeli says the Commission’s relationship with Hortgro holds more than just mere monetary value. “It is based on information exchange, technology transfer and knowledge dissemination driven by the needs of a particular industry.”

He explains that the recent droughts in the Western Cape significantly shaped the thinking of both organisations in terms of which research projects to tackle.

“When working with Hortgro we have the added assurance that outcomes or recommendations made through the projects will be implemented by the industry. This is a very important, strategic facet. There’s value for money in having such a partner.”

New technologies have been introduced to the agricultural sector as a result of funded projects.

“Our farmers, especially commercial farmers, have become able to reduce water usage, and adopted climate-smart options, to produce more food with less water,” says Mpandeli. “The agricultural commodities being exported to Asia, Europe and Middle East countries are well-accepted based on the water footprint that we are recording through the Water Research Commission and our partners.”

Close to 500 projects in five years

According to the Water Research Commission’s 2020–2021 annual report, 484 research projects were funded and finalised over the past five years. Of these, 84 were completed during 2020–2021.

This is a significant contribution to knowledge in the water and sanitation sector, according to its chief executive officer, Dhesigan Naidoo.

“The impact of this research, development and innovation can be seen across the sector, from enhancing communities’ resilience to climate change, and improving water and wastewater management in industry and mining, through to aiding transformation through better alignment of land–water reform processes and sharing water knowledge nationally and internationally across virtual networks,” states Naidoo in the annual report.

Mpandeli says the 71 research and outreach projects currently funded and driven by the Water Utilisation in Agriculture Key Strategic Area are chosen to increase the biological, technical, and economic efficiency and productivity of water use in South Africa.

The projects also aim to reduce poverty through water-based agricultural activities, to increase profitability of water-based farming systems, and to ensure sustainable water-resource use through protection, restoration, and reclamation activities. Various agricultural sectors and types of produce benefit – from macadamia nuts and vegetables to grapes, pomegranates, plums, and strawberries. Projects involve both smallholder and commercial farmers, and are conducted in both rural and peri-urban areas.

The roll-out of school-based food gardens is a valuable tool to ensure food security and to excite children about careers in agriculture. These school-based food gardens in support of the government feeding scheme were managed by the Agricultural Research Council on behalf of the Water Research Commission.

Research is essential for economic growth

According to Mpandeli, activities such as food gardens are all guided by the so-called Water–Energy–Food Nexus Lighthouse, adopted by the Commission in 2012 in response to global trends, to champion integrated water, energy and food planning and development for South Africa and Southern Africa. Since then, the Commission has organised various activities to promote sustainable integrated planning through its research and development branch. “We work according to the philosophy of more crop per drop.”

Mpandeli believes that adequate access to water could help reduce poverty and alleviate socio-economic issues. Climate change, and its impacts on agriculture, food security and livelihoods, is increasingly a topic playing into many funded projects.

His management area coordinates projects on anything from the implementation of suitable technology to produce more food with less water, to water quality issues in the production of crops, livestock, fish, and timber.

“Research is very important to stimulate the economy of the country,” stresses Mpandeli. “We need the industry if we plan to stimulate the economy of this country, and create job opportunities for our people. We also need government to come up with policies to assist the private sector to create job opportunities for our people.”

He thinks that researchers must play a role in stimulating South Africa’s economy and providing adequate information that can guide the science-policy interface.

“It is most important to address industry needs and make an impact on the ground,” says Mpandeli. “Water is life – it’s the basics of science. Without water, there is nothing we can do.”