The Sandton Convention Center will open on March 26 and 27, 2019, to welcome African water stakeholders, as part of the Water Show Africa. Nearly 3,000 people are expected at the forum which is in its 12th edition. The objective is to present the water sector as an attractive and strategic area for investors.
The Johannesburg meeting will also allow participants to strengthen their network in the water sector. During the conference, participants will explore ways to improve access to water in the agricultural and mining sectors. Water used for agriculture accounts for 70% of the total amount of water withdrawn worldwide.
For 48 hours, participants will attend a series of conferences on issues related to access to water in Africa. The topics “trends” concerns water recycling, the re-use, including the potabilisation of wastewater … The following themes were retained, amongst others:
– Transform cities where water is scarce, into sources of water supply;
– Integration of climate resilient infrastructure as a key to sustainable growth;
– Water 4.0: opportunities for the private sector;
– Sharing of water, sharing of benefits across borders;
– Smart water, smart cities, inventory and perspectives;
– The relationship between water and energy: views on methods, initiatives and opportunities.
The Water Show Africa 2018 is also an opportunity for participants to explore the following themes during workshops:
– Water and energy: perspectives on methods, the environment and opportunities;
– Water as a strategic investment area: why, who, when and where;
– Irrigation, drainage, conservation and management of water for sustainable agricultural growth;
– Protect water quality through regulation and monitoring;
– Invest in good infrastructure: focus on water catchment systems;
– Urban water purification techniques: assessments and prospects;
– Mining water management in the Internet of Things era: what evolution?
– Water, a thorny issue: case study: AMD in South Africa;
– Use big data to optimise customer service;
– Towards the implementation of a unique growth plan;
– Major projects in Malawi: how to open the door to financing?
– Towards sustainable sanitation;
– How to reconcile the expansion of new infrastructure projects with traditional installations?
– Towards a new vision of mine water and water in the mining sector: integrating mining, environmental and community needs.
Water show Africa brings together African leaders and professionals of the water sector to discover the latest innovations in the domain and develop strategies to improve the quality of water supply on the continent.
Access to water in Africa, a great concern
In Africa, 320 million people still do not have access to drinking water whereas, the continent has more than 5000 billion cubic metres of water groundwater. A situation that may get worse if nothing is done, because estimates show that in 2050, the continent will have 2.5 billion inhabitants, almost 1 billion more than its current population (2018).
Luchelle Feukeng