NEPAD SANWATCE Meeting with Prof. Cloete

28.09.2012

Present:

Dominique Mannel (DM) – dmannel@sun.ac.za

Nico Elema (NE) – nicoelema@nepadwatercoe.org

Nora Hanke (NH) – norahanke@ nepadwatercoe.org

Prof. Eugene Cloete (EC) – eugenecloete@sun.ac.za

1. SANWATCE

·         EC pushed for more endorsement of the nodes for the Business Plan to increase the NEPAD SANWATCE clout with funders

·         NE: Role of NEPAD SANWATCE in Waternet annual symposium is still unclear but the Secretariat has offered financial assistance to students and other sponsorship (e.g. cocktail reception)

·         NE: budget at the moment is around ZAR 800.000

o   SANWATCE network account gets around ZAR 500.000 from JRC funds

o   EC wants to support the YWP through stipends to the conference

o   Budget surplus to be used for strategic sponsorship

o   NE to finalise budget ins and outs at the end of October

·         NH to email EC YWP Organizing Committee meeting details

·         NE: Regional Research Alliance (RRA) made up of CSIR (South Africa), BOTEC (Botswana) and SIRDC (Zimbabwe)

o   Want to join the NEPAD SANWATCE Network

o   Apply under the NEPAD SANWATCE umbrella for DFID and AU funding

o   Organise a joint conference at the beginning of 2013

o   Involve more junior water professionals

·         EC to look out for NH internet cost point email

2. JRC

·         NH: e-conference update

o   paper summarizing e-conference handed to EC for comments and suggestions

o   NE suggested we don’t have the e-conference topics in a row but spread out

o   NH to contact Antoinette van der Merwe from SU responsible for telematic education for possible broadcasting of opening lectures, etc.

·         EC in future NEPAD SANWATCE could collaborate with TEDx Stellenbosch on TED-style lectures on water. Stellenbosch to the hub and center for water knowledge with includes the Den Bosch lecture theatre.

·         NE met with the CSIR and Keith Kennedy is moving on the regional workshops.