Water, Sewage & Effluent July-August 2017 | Page 40

Climate change impact study

A study into the long-term impact of climate change on the Mgeni River System in KwaZulu-Natal for a major water utility is believed to be a world first in considering 31 different future climate scenarios.
By Gerald de Jager

AECOM is at the forefront of developing practical methodologies to help planners deal with the impact of climate change on available water resources.“ In many respects, this study is the first of its kind in South Africa, and the rest of world,” Gerald de Jager( Pr Eng), practice area manager: Water Resources – Africa, highlights.

“ This is due to it not only being contemporary in terms of determining the impact of climate change on water security per se, but also to the extensive number of climate models and scenarios used in this assessment, coupled with several complex modelling techniques,” De Jager elaborates.
38 Water Sewage & Effluent July / August 2017