A strategy for linking South Africa to the Water Programme of the United Nations Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS)
Abstract
English: The tasks of managing and protecting South Africa’s water resources are being performed by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), although the requirement to protect water resources are also entrenched in the policies and acts of other departments. DWAF has also recognized over the past ten years the importance of international co-operation with regards to water issues. As part of South Africa’s commitment to the realization of Agenda 21 and related international water management commitments, the South African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has committed itself to participating in the Global Surface Water Quality Monitoring Programme. The programme falls under the management of the United Nations Environmental Programme and is administrated by the UN Global Environmental Monitoring System/Water Programme (GEMS/Water). The aim of the study was to develop a strategy that would enable SA to effectively participate in this global water quality monitoring programme, by making use of existing programmes and infrastructure. A very important aspect of this study was also to test the scientific and operational ability of SA to honour this commitment, as the submission of unreliable and irrelevant data for use in international reports by the UN can lead to embarrassment on a political level. Clear objectives, based on international requirements, were formulated to serve as the basis for the design of a scientifically sound monitoring system. Three different types of monitoring data, namely global river flux, global trends, global baseline data were identified as the main focus areas. A wide variety of techniques such as statistical analyses of national water quality data, specialist workshops, meetings with international data users, geographic information system (GIS), performance auditing of existing monitoring programmes and extensive field visits were used to design a monitoring system that would enable SA to meet the set objectives. Special attention was also given to the design of a comprehensive ISO 9001:2000 based quality management system and operational structures that would ensure the production and submission of reliable data in a sustainable manner. The importance of producing a documented monitoring strategy cannot be over emphasized. Such a strategy must clearly link the information needs with monitoring objectives, which in turn must be clearly linked to the design of the monitoring programme During the design process a number of potential shortcomings in the existing systems and programmes were identified and specific recommendations are made. Some of the main recommendations related to the implementation of a quality management system for new and existing national monitoring programmes, placement of sampling sites, alteration of sampling frequencies and expansion of monitoring variables currently being tested for. It was finally concluded that South Africa does have the ability to honour their commitment to the UN GEMS/Water Programme, provided that the recommendations emanating from this study are implemented. Afrikaans: Die bestuur en bewaring van Suid-Afrika se waterhulpbronne is hoofsaaklik die
verantwoordelikheid van die Departement van Waterwese en Bosbou (DWB), alhoewel
dit ook vervat word in die beleid en wette van ander departemente. DWB het ook oor die
afgelope tien jaar die belangrikheid van internationale samewerking op hiedie gebied
erken.
As deel van Suid Afrika se verbintenis tot die verwesenliking van Agenda 21 en
verwante waterbestuur ooreenkomste, het die DWB homself tot deelname in die Wêreld
Watergehalthe Moniterings Program verbind. Die program val onder die bestuur van die
Vereenigde Nasies (VN) Omgewings Program en word deur die VN Wêreld Omgewings
Monitering Stelsel/Water programme (GEMS/Water) geadministreer.
Die doel van hierdie studie was om ‘n strategie te ontwikkel wat SA instaat sal
stel om op ‘n effektiewe wyse te kan deelneem in die wêreld moniteringprogram deur
gebruik te maak van bestaande programme en infrastruktuur. ‘n Baie belangrike aspek
van hierdie studie was ook om te toets of SA die wetenskaplike en operationele vermoeë
het om sukselvol aan hierdie program kan deelneem. Aangesien die verskaffing van nierelevante
of onbetroubare data aan die VN vir gebruik in internationale verslae tot
verleentheid op politiese vlak kan lei.
Duidelike doelwitte, gebaseer op internationale vereistes, is geformuleer om te
dien as die basis vir die ontwerp van ‘n wetenskaplik korrekte moniteringstelsel. Drie
verskillende tipes watergehalte data, naamlik globale rivier fluksie, globale neigings en
globale agtergrond data is as die hoof kokusareas geïdentifiseer.
‘n Wye veskeidenheid van tegnieke, naamlik statistiese analises van nasionale
watergehalte data, spesialis werkswinkels, vergadering met internasionale rolspelers,
geografiese inligtingstelsels (GIS), ouditering van die werksverrigting van bestaande
nationale monitering data en veldwerk is gebruik om ‘n stelsel te ontwerp wat sal
verseker dat SA die daargestelde doelwitte sal kan bereik. Baie aandag is ook gegee aan
die ontwikkeling van ‘n allomvattende ISO 9001:2000 gebaseerde gehaltebestuurstelsel
en ‘n operasionele stelsel om die volhoubare versameling en verskaffing van betroubare
data te verseker. Die belang van die dokumentering van so ‘n moniteringstrategie word
beklemtoon. Hierdie strategie moet die inligtingsbehoeftes duidelik met die
moniteringdoelwitte verbind, wat weer met die moniteringprogram ontwerp gekoppel
moet wees.
Gedurende die ontwerpproses is ‘n verskeidenheid van tekortkominge in die
bestaande stelsels en programme geïdentifiseer en spesifieke aanbevelings is gemaak.
Van die hoof aanbevelings hou verband met die implementering van ‘n
gehaltebestuurstelsel vir bestaande en nuwe nationale moniteringsstelsels, plasing van
moniteringspunte, verandering van moniteringsfrekwensies en die uitbreiding van
veranderlikes waarvoor daar getoets word.
Die finale gevolgtrekking was dat Suid Afrika wel die vermoeë het om hulle
ooreenkoms met die VN Water Program na te kom, op voorwaarde dat die aanbevelings
wat uit hierdie studie spruit, geïmplimenteer moet word.
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