Zutari experts to highlight the importance of sustainable stormwater management at SAICE conference
 | Zutari experts to highlight the importance of sustainable stormwater management at SAICE conference_approved | 37.01 KB | Download |
 Preview | Dr. James Cullis Zutari Technical Director | 494.03 KB | Download |
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The impact of intense rainfall events that erode and flood the impermeable landscape of our urban environment stand to be exacerbated by the growing impact of climate change, warns SAICE. “The need for holistic and sustainable management of our stormwater has never been as important as it is today,” stresses SEED. The critical importance of adapting to climate change has again been highlighted with the release of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on the impacts of climate change (AR6).
Leading consulting engineering and infrastructure advisory firm Zutari will present three papers at the conference, covering both engineering design considerations for SuDS as well as higher-level policy relevance in terms of benchmarking the transition to becoming a Water Sensitive City.
Pull Quote
“The need for holistic and sustainable management of our stormwater has never been as important as it is today.” – SEED
In a presentation entitled ‘The challenges with stormwater modelling, calibration, validation and verification in South Africa and how they can be overcome’, Zutari Stormwater Engineer Matthew Phillips will elaborate on South Africa specific projects where data has been limited, but sound engineering principles were adopted.
Whether it’s a small shopping centre car park or the development of the Lanseria Smart City, stormwater modelling and management is important, but how is this done and how do engineering professionals deal with the associated challenges? Phillips will also touch on international best practice and how this is being practically implemented in South Africa.
Cape Town Water Unit Location Leader Fareed Nagdi will speak about the changing role of the stormwater engineer from the time stormwater systems were designed to get rid of stormwater as fast as possible to the current trend in which stormwater systems that mimic the natural environment are increasingly becoming part of the urban landscape. Nagdi will share recent experiences on different projects undertaken by Zutari’s Cape Town Water team, highlighting non-traditional stormwater aspects.
Zutari Technical Director Dr. James Cullis will look at ‘Benchmarking Water-Sensitive African Cities’. Even with the end of the recent drought, water availability remains a key concern for cities such as Cape Town due to continued population growth, increasing demands and support for economic growth and has resulted in the development of a new strategy to become a Water Sensitive City by 2040.
Cullis will present the results of a study supported by both the Western Cape local government and the City of Cape Town to benchmark itself against the Water Sensitive City Index (WSCI) tool developed by the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities in Australia, and previously applied to cities in Australia, China and the Philippines.
The lessons learnt from this study have subsequently also been applied to benchmarking the City of Johannesburg as a Water Sensitive City. This information will also inform the development of a water strategy for the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), which is in line with the growth and development objectives for CoJ and the recently released Climate Action Plan (CAP).
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Notes to the Editor
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About Zutari
As engineering consultants and trusted advisors, Zutari co-creates an engineered impact that enables environments, communities and economies to thrive. Few others can match our local capacity, long-standing presence and understanding of the challenges required to operate successfully across various regions in Africa.
We have created an impact across Africa for the past 88 years (1932 to 2020) and remain committed to this continent, making us the perfect partner to those less familiar with working in Africa. We are experienced in international projects and our Global Design Centres allow us to bring world-class solutions to our clients.
As a private management-owned company, our commitment is true and we have vested interest in our clients’ success. Our strong relationships allow us to connect the right expertise, processes and resources to match client’s needs and bring stakeholders that have shared interests together.
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Zutari’s broad collective of in-house, industry-recognised engineering consultants and trusted advisors provide seamless and integrated delivery. This unique ability to offer scaled engagement allows Zutari to solve complex challenges more efficiently.
Grounded in digital engineering, we continuously deliver better results.
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