Experts discuss possible ways of mitigating impact of global challenges on SA

4th December 2015

By: Zandile Mavuso

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Features

  

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Amid unfavourable economic conditions globally and declining investment in South Africa, the challenges of industrial enhancement, urban development, water governance and transport planning have required intervention to ensure progress in the transition to a sustainable future.

International consulting engineering company Royal HaskoningDHV hosted a Global Challenges Debate at the Netherlands Embassy’s House of the Future event in Johannesburg last month, during which experts concluded that focused collaborative intervention would foster economic growth in South Africa.

Noting that industry was critical to the progress of every country, US multinational investment banking firm Goldman Sachs investment banking division MD and panellist at the debate Willem Baars said policy uncertainty remained the biggest obstacle in unleashing South Africa’s economic potential.

“Over the past few years, there has been a decline in investment into South Africa, which indicates the need to pay attention to the growing infrastructure . . . [and] education deficit, labour relations unrest and the low spend on research and development (R&D) across sectors,” he added.

Therefore, it remained important for universities to work more closely with industry to foster more R&D and opportunities for information and communications technology that would result in innovation that fostered sustainability, Baars indicated.

Also, with an estimated 60% of the population in South Africa most likely to live in cities by 2030, urban sustainability became important, noted architecture and urban design firm GAAP director Erky Wood.

“One of the downfalls of developing our cities in South Africa . . . [is] . . . the lack of policy integration,” he stated.

Wood emphasised that, when policy was tabled, the focus should not shift from cities being built to become centres of inclusion. With progress towards inclusion being made in the design of the City of Johannesburg, Wood mentioned that such planning should also be considered in the design of other cities in the country.

“What also has to be considered in the planning of urban areas is how they interlink and interchange with each other, which requires proper transport planning that should place the needs of the people at the forefront.”

Wood highlighted that the focus of transport planners had to shift from concern about the impact of traffic to one that prioritised how people were affected by transport socially.

Moreover, Royal HaskoningDHV transport planner Rory Williams reiterated that transport had to be designed in such a way that it enabled a cohesive social and economic environment.

Further, Royal HaskoniningDHV MD Salani Sithole said that, although transport was a major driver for economic development, it also had a major impact on the consumption of fossil fuels, which had health implications for people and the ecosystem.

“Our challenge lies in how we can help create future-proof systems and accelerate the transition to a sustainable future,” he noted.

Williams pointed out that the challenge was not only assessing how the planners worked to provide transport solutions but also acknowledging that people’s behaviour was pivotal in the designing of transport systems.

The importance of people’s behaviour came across strongly in the debates, particularly concerning water, with the suggestion that the importance of preserving water, owing to the current drought in the country, had to be emphasised more.

Having worked on a number of water infrastructure projects to date, Royal HaskoningDHV civil engineer Keith Turner asked how water can be conserved, with the subsequent debate focusing on the importance of proper infrastructure and raising more awareness on using water sparingly.

Sithole concluded the debate by suggesting that having considered the four challenges, it remained South Africa’s responsibility to take result-orientated steps towards employing less environmentally damaging technologies and adopting responsible business solutions to mitigate these challenges to strengthen and preserve economic value.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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