Newsworthy

Upcoming Events

26th ICID International Congress | 12–17 October 2026 | Marseille, France The 26th ICID International Congress will gather over 1,000 experts, researchers, engineers, and policymakers in Marseille. The event will focus on water management, irrigation, agricultural resilience, and climate change under the theme Water and Agricultural Resilience in the Face of Climate Change. A major international event for South African researchers working on irrigation, agricultural water use, and water-food-energy nexus topics. DWS

SASAqS Congress 2026 | 28 June – 2 July 2026 | Eastern Cape, South Africa The Southern African Society of Aquatic Scientists Congress will be held in the Eastern Cape from 28 June to 2 July 2026, under the theme Aquatic Science for Resilient South African Systems. Expected to be hosted by NRF-SAIAB and Rhodes University in Makhanda. Registration and abstract submission details will be posted on the SASAqS website https://sasaqs.wixsite.com/2026

SAHS Biennial Hydrology Conference 2026 | 2026 | South Africa 2026 is a conference year for the South African Hydrological Society (SAHS), which holds biennial hydrology conferences connecting the South African hydrological sciences community. https://sahs.conference.org.za/

WRO Updates

Using Deep Learning to Predict Streamflow in South Africa | 2024 The WRO initiative published its first scientific paper in the Journal of Hydroinformatics, demonstrating the application of deep learning methods to streamflow prediction in South African catchments — a significant milestone for the WRO research programme.

WRO Featured on Euronews | December 2022 The Water Research Observatory was featured in a Euronews Green segment on real-time climate information in Africa, highlighting the WRO's role in making water and climate data accessible across the continent.

WRO Presentation at UKZN CWRR Research on Tap Webinar | 2022 The WRO team presented at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Centre for Water Resources Research webinar series. View the recorded presentation here.

Research & Tools

Visualising DWS Water Quality Monitoring Across South Africa, 1970–2012 An interactive visualisation of how Department of Water and Sanitation water quality monitoring evolved across South Africa over four decades — available via the WRO data platform.

Downscaling GLDAS Groundwater Storage Anomalies Using Remote Sensing | 2024 A recently published paper in the Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies demonstrating the use of integrated remote sensing data to monitor groundwater storage anomalies. Includes Google Earth Engine code applicable to any region of interest.

IWMI Open-Access Database: Water Management and Energy Production in Africa | 2024 IWMI, the University of Groningen, and the Escuela Politécnica Nacional have released a free database providing statistics on water management and energy production across Africa — addressing a significant data gap for the continent.

ARC Agri-Data Web Portal | 2023 The Agricultural Research Council launched its new Agri-Data web portal providing access to agricultural climate and soil data relevant to South African farming and water use research.

News & Publications

UNESCO 2025 Photo Story Contest on Water | 2025 UNESCO and partners invited participants to submit photo stories on water towers, mountains, and glaciers as part of the International Year of Glacier Preservation 2025.

Update on El Niño 2023/2024 and Retrospective for Southern Africa | March 2024 An update statement from the El Niño Summit reviewing the development of the 2023/2024 El Niño event and its observed impacts on rainfall and water resources across southern Africa.

Scientists Tested 12 Bottled Waters in Pretoria — Three Were Toxic | January 2023 A Business Insider South Africa investigation into the quality of commercially available bottled water in Pretoria, with findings of significant concern for water quality standards and consumer safety.

State of the World's Drinking Water — WHO Report | October 2022 A landmark WHO report calling for urgent action to accelerate progress on ensuring safe drinking water for all — providing important global context for South Africa's domestic water quality challenges.