Jay Bhagwan is frustrated by the continuing inequity in water resource allocation, hence his excitement at the opportunities offered by his new position. Last month he was appointed chairman of the National Water Advisory Council.
The council's role is to advise water affairs & forestry minister Buyelwa Sonjica on all aspects of policy relating to water, from priority development projects to issues connected to the development of water resources. "Being an adviser has its advantages. I can highlight the challenges we face and recommend solutions at the highest level. Beyond this, operating at this level Bhagwan will also have a unique insight into water issues in the country. He will use this, he says, to help guide and shape research at the Water Research Commission (WRC) where he is responsible for water use and waste management.
With an undergraduate degree from the University of Nagpur, India, Bhagwan specialised in tropical public health engineering. He has been involved with water - more specifically, water supply and sanitation, and urban water management - all of his working life. "Water is my passion. It comes from the need to use my expertise to help people. I live it, and my family understand this."
They need to. His day begins at 6.30 am and ends at about the same time in the evening.
Water resource management is a key issue in a semi-arid region such as SA, but his personal interest lies in the provision of water and sewerage services to underserviced communities. "Obviously there must be a balance between the provision of water and the preservation of water resources. But we are not yet at that fretful stage where saving water is our greatest priority, instead what is key is the efficient use of water." This is something, he admits, that South Africans are particularly bad at.
In 1995 he moved from the application of technology to research and policy development. This side of the fence is both gratifying and frustrating. "Government has made great strides in terms of policy development. The Water Act is among the most progressive in the world and is premised on the concept of some, for all, forever'. I see this act as the foundation for the future. We are now building the structure that will allow us to implement these principles." For instance, large borehole water users need to be registered, metered and charged for the water they use.
However, this process requires patience and sensitivity. "We face challenges in terms of capacity and competency - at all levels.
"But our biggest challenge remains infrastructure provision and asset management. We need to provide 4m people with access to improved water supply, and about 14m with access to improved sanitation. We are losing 35%-40% of the water supplied, and poor management of infrastructure has its impact on the environment. Our infrastructure is ageing. If we don't start planning for this we will be in dire trouble and our huge investments in modern infrastructure will collapse.
"I've been pushing for aspects such as asset management and infrastructure operation and maintenance as subjects for research." The WRC is already involved in research that spans several fronts - from finding sustainable solutions to the water shortages in the Western Cape to finding solutions to mine water pollution.
However, says Bhagwan, research is only as good as the people implementing and championing the technology. Many challenges around water provision are not technical. In fact, he says, technology choice and use is as good as the management and institutional processes which support them. Most of the challenge concerns customer orientation, strengthening water institutions and holistic management of water. "Many of our current approaches are technocratic and lack the benefit of holistic management."
In the late 1990s he was involved in a project that planned to introduce a novel waterborne sewerage solution into three eThekwini communities. The pilot projects faced many challenges, eventually coming to a halt. "An aspirant local councillor, who was later elected, promised the community free basic water'. Hence a novel solution was interpreted as second rate because of poor communication and understanding. It is imperative," he says, "that officials and politicians see the same picture and champion new approaches and technology which provide benefits to people."
Meanwhile, he will continue to try to influence thinking through research and knowledge. "You cannot force change. You need to empower people. This is what we do."
