Date and Time
- UTC+2Location
Online
Join the fifth edition of the WASA Webinar Series, hosted by NEU-Water, to discover the latest developments in nature-based solutions.
The webinar will explore how nature-based solutions (NbS) can strengthen water resilience and support sustainable urban development. Prof. Kevin Winter from the Future Water Institute at the University of Cape Town will introduce the role and application of nature-based solutions, followed by Prof. Wolfgang Dickhaut from HafenCity University Hamburg, who will discuss how these approaches can be integrated into dense urban settlements.
The public-sector perspective will be provided by Phil McLean, Control Environmental Officer for Water Resource Rehabilitation and Bioremediation at the Western Cape Government. He will highlight the relevance of nature-based solutions to the implementation of the Western Cape Government’s Water Resilience Strategy, sharing insights into their practical application and potential to address urban water challenges.
Agenda
- Welcome & speaker introductions
- Technical presentation: “Nature-based Solutions for Water – Experiences from the Water Hub” | Prof. Kevin Winter, Future Water Institute, University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa
- Technical presentation: “Water Sensitive Urban Design in dense low-income areas. Experiences from Franshoek and Dar es Salaam” | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Dickhaut, HafenCity University Hamburg (HCU), Germany
- Public sector perspective: “Towards Water Security through Nature-based Solutions – Western Cape’s Water Resilience Strategy” | Phil McLean, Control Environmental Officer for Water Resource Rehabilitation and Bioremediation, Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Western Cape Government, South Africa
- Moderated Q&A & discussion
- Wrap-up & announcement of next webinar
Speakers
Dr. Kevin Winter
Dr. Kevin Winter is in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science at UCT with considerable teaching experience in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. He has over 25 years experience as an academic and is a strong advocate for civil society in the fields of urban water management, water quality monitoring and sustainable urban drainage. Kevin chaired the UCT Water Task team and is a member of the Water Resilience Advisory Committee, which provides advice to the City of Cape Town’s Water Resilience Task Team that was set up in response to the Cape Town water crisis (2016-2018). He is also the research director for the Water Hub – a demonstration and research facility in Franschhoek.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Dickhaut
Dr. Wolfgang Dickhaut studied civil engineering at the Technical University of Darmstadt, specialising in hydraulic engineering, urban planning, biology, water supply and sewage engineering, environment and regional planning, in a developed and developing country context. At HafenCity University Hamburg, since 2006, he leads the working group titled ” Environmentally sound Urban and Infrastructure Planning” and is teaching in the departments BIW/Architectural Engeneering and REAP. His research focus is on the topic of “Water Sensitive Urban Design” and he has lead several German and International applied research initiatives such as NEU-Water, Dar Safi Bahari Safi, Blue Green Streets, etc.
Phil Mclean
Phil McLean works within the Western Cape provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, in the Directorate: Pollution and Chemicals Management.
He leads the Department in matters of Nature-based solutions, particularly for water quality improvement and then, with a particular emphasis on urban areas. His goal is to help de-mystify the suite of nature-based solutions on offer to municipalities (including hybrid solutions in concert with traditional, grey infrastructure) and mainstream NbS as part of the toolkit available to improve both water- and climate resilience as our municipalities expand their developed footprint.
The Western Cape province recognises water (both flood and drought) as the two highest risks to people, infrastructure and economy facing the region over the medium term. It has thus established various structures like the Water Resilience Committee and Sustainable Water Protection Plan. Phil sits on both these transversal committees and uses the platforms to help secure our water future with solutions that are both people- and environmentally centric.
Participation
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/373896052881360?p=3WXjMNyxmb4mXoImS5
Meeting ID: 334 993 430 732 559
Passcode: vu3Pf6Gs
The WASA Webinar Series unites academia, industry, and policy through a dynamic two-part format including a technical or academic presentation from a WASA project partner, followed by a public or private sector perspective on the relevance and application of the technology within Sub-Saharan Africa’s water sector.
About NEU-Water
NEU-Water is one of seven cooperation projects of the Water Security in Africa (WASA) research programme. Learn more about the objectives, current activities, its private sector partners, and connect with the project team here.