Water research paradigm shifts in South Africa

Abstract

We performed a scientometric analysis of water research publications extracted from four decades of South African related papers to identify paradigms and paradigm shifts within water research in South Africa. Between 1977 and 1991, research publications are dominated by research into technical and engineering solutions, as well as designs and plans to secure water supply. From 1992 to 2001, publications on water pollution, water quality, water resource management and planning are prominent. The second major paradigm is observed from 2001 to 2011 in which the emphasis is on planning, modelling, catchment-scale studies and a multidisciplinary approach to research. Another transition period, towards the end of 2011, is characterised by uncertainty, although it also shows the prominence of key concepts such as participation, governance and politics in water management. The second aim of this study was to identify and prioritise current and future water research questions through the participation of a wide range of researchers from across the country, and to relate these questions to research paradigms, issues and concerns in water in South Africa. Over 1600 questions were collected, reduced in number and then prioritised by specialists in the water sector. The majority (78%) of questions offered by respondents in the South African case study dealt with relatively short-to medium-term research requirements with 47% of questions focused on medium-term issues such as supplying water, service delivery and technical solutions.

A review of trends in scientific coverage of water governance in South Africa and what this means for agenda-setting of public investment in water governance R&D

“…There are elements within Allan's (2005) management paradigms that mirror similar developments in water resource management in South Africa. Both Siebrits et al (2014) and Tempelhoff (2018) corroborate Allan's (2005) global paradigm shifts by observing similar trends in water resources in South Africa. Tempelhoff (2018) takes a historical perspective of water governance in South Africa that mirrors these global trends.…”

The cost-effectiveness of water augmentation and management: Assessing the Unit Reference Value

“…This led to a very dominant supply-side policy focus and water research. This produced engineering and technically based solutions (Siebrits et al 2014). With the DWA chiefly the technocratic territory of engineers, plans for the expansion of water supply to cities and areas of industrial development were focused on increasingly complex and costly transfer schemes (Turton & Meissner 2002).…”

“…The most widely held belief for its failure is that the persistent levels of poverty and high-income inequalities, which were carried over from the 1980s, limit the successful implementation of IWRM (Movik et al 2016). Water research is increasingly dominated by ecologists and economists as focus has shifted away from engineering and technical solutions towards concepts such as sustainability, governance, adaptation and management (Siebrits et al 2014). The URV is thus adapted and used as a science communication tool (Blignaut et al 2010; Mander et al 2017).…”

Reflections On The Framework Of Water Governance In South Africa

“…In regard to the aspect of equity, which is extremely high on the political agenda of South Africa, transformation into (say) black ownership appears to scientists to be higher on the political agenda than capacity and technical know‐how in the field of water. Often appointments are made in higher management, which appear to be based on political connections, and on the technical level largely based on color and nationality (Swatuk 2008; Siebrits, Winter & Jacobs 2014).…”