Managing stormwater in South African neighbourhoods: When engineers and scientists need social science skills to get their jobs done
Journal of Water Supply : Research and Technology - AQUA
; 72(4):456-464, 2023.
Article
in French
| ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-2326597
ABSTRACT
Stormwater harvesting via managed aquifer recharge in retrofitted infrastructure has been posited as a method for resource augmentation in Cape Town. However, the existing guidelines on stormwater retrofits are technically inclined, occidental, and generally misaligned with the realities and socio-economic contexts of developing nations like South Africa. Water and urban practitioners from developing nations cannot just 'copy and paste' existing guidelines as different socio-economic dimensions and colonial histories typically hinder 'traditional' approaches. This paper assesses how a transdisciplinary team navigated these realities in a case study of a retrofitted pond in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town. A decolonial thinking framework was applied for reflection and thematic content analysis. The framework was used to unpack how the team encountered, addressed, and learned from the challenges during the retrofit process. The research team found that the retrofit process within a context of under-resourced South African communities can be viewed as developmental work with a strong emphasis on continuous community engagement. Thus, it is suggested that in the South African context, water practitioners should consider, at the fore, interaction with local communities, including awareness of racialised histories, to ensure projects are successfully implemented and completed.
Water Resources; community engagement; interdisciplinary research; stormwater harvesting; Stormwater; Guidelines; Developing countries; Aquifers; Dimensions; Stormwater management; Water shortages; Context; Socioeconomic aspects; Groundwater recharge; Content analysis; Apartheid; Community; Ethics; Water harvesting; Social sciences; COVID-19; Case studies; Ecology; Construction; Infrastructure; Community involvement; Economics; Medical research; Community participation; Socioeconomics; Local communities; Developing countries--LDCs; Retrofitting; Ponds; Aquifer management; Unemployment; Coronaviruses; Neighborhoods; South Africa
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
ProQuest Central
Type of study:
Qualitative research
Language:
French
Journal:
Journal of Water Supply : Research and Technology - AQUA
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
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