Stellenbosch Students On a Mission to Solve South Africa’s Water Crisis

A group of postgraduate students at Stellenbosch University are embarking on an ambitious project to solve South Africa’s water problems and do their part for a sustainable water future.

The “Know Your Water” project is the brainchild of Jared van Rooyen and forms the basis of his MSc. The project involves a countrywide field excursion to sample at least 100 boreholes and springs, combined with a citizen science endeavour to collect even MORE (200) samples. They will also be setting up 50-100 rainfall collection stations!

All this will help predict the sustainability of South Africa’s Groundwater.

Jared is joined by Yaa Agyare-Dwomah and Zita Harilall, who are working on their honours theses and will work on a precipitation model that feeds into Jared’s groundwater model. The project is supervised by Dr. Jodie Miller who works on the application of isotopes to solving water problems.

The Stellenbosch team set up a #KnowYourWater campaign a couple of days ago… and within 24 hours had already raised over R15,000. Their target is R200,000.

Yaa told SAPeople: “We’re passionate about water and so we based our research projects on water, and having this drought we thought that we might as well get the public involved to help us try and make a change that can help sustain us in the future as well.

“We just want to help make a better tomorrow for all.”

You can join the movement to help these students do their part for a sustainable water future for South Africa, here: www.thundafund.com/project/knowyourwater

Watch Know Your Water – Crowdfunding Campaign

MORE

www.thundafund.com/project/knowyourwater