News
On 22 March 2016, the global community celebrated World Water Day (WWD). In South Africa, WWD coincides with the National Water Week, which serves as a powerful campaign mechanism re-iterating the value of water, the need for the sustainable management of this scarce resource and the role water plays in eradicating poverty and under-development.
CSIR waste experts are investigating ways in which informal waste pickers – individuals picking through bin bags at kerbside, recovering valuable recyclables – can be integrated into the South African waste and recycling economy, particularly when a mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is implemented for certain waste streams.
Several enterprises supported by the CSIR’s Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre (BIDC) programme showcased their products at the inaugural South African Business Incubation Conference hosted by the Small Enterprise Development Agency at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand from 10-11 March 2016.
The conference is aimed at creating a platform where everything related to technology and business incubation can be discussed, shared and explored.
The CSIR recently hosted a Southern Africa Network for Biosciences and National Research Foundation-funded Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) workshop at its Pretoria Campus. The workshop was focused on the detection and management of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in livestock.
Scifest Africa has taken part of its event to the township, making it easier for the local township learners to experience the laws and nature of science.
Since Scifest kicked off on Tuesday 2 March, about 300 learners from different schools in Jozana, have poured through doors at the local indoor sports centre to participate in the exciting event. This while the main festival is taking place about 4.5km away in Grahamstown.
The fourth session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services(IPBES - 4) was held on 22-26 February 2016 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The aim of IPBES 4 was to consider and adopt full reports and approve summaries for policy makers of the Platform’s first full assessments on: pollination and pollinators associated with food production; and a methodological assessment of scenarios and models of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
The CSIR has partnered with local and international institutions to co-host the 6th International Conference on Sustainability Science (ICSS) on 2 – 3 March 2016 at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies. This annual meeting of sustainability experts across the globe will seek answers to the question: How can sustainability science help tackle some of the pressing sustainability challenges that Africa is facing?
Operation Phakisa, a South African Government initiative, was designed to fast track the implementation of solutions on critical development issues. The first implementation phase of this initiative, which is led by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), focuses on unlocking the economic potential of South Africa’s oceans.
Eastern Cape-based Adventure Power has been making strides in the local and international wind energy market. The company is the only local manufacturer of medium-sized wind turbines in South Africa and was recently the recipient of a Firm Technology Assistance Package from the Technology Localisation Implementation Unit (TLIU). The TLIU is a Department of Science and Technology initiative, hosted by the CSIR.