Where the Jukskei River first sees daylight in downtown Johannesburg, scientists are supporting a citizen-led environmental non-profit organisation to gather vital data that will guide ways to improve water quality and ecological integrity.
Formed about five years ago with seed funding from Victoria Yards and local quick-service restaurant chain Nando’s, Water for the Future ( WFTF) has drawn together a group of collaborating partners including scientists and academics. By working with the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, the team plans to improve conditions for communities along the river.
Romy Stander, co-founder, WFTF, emphasises that strong connections were being formed with the landowners as the project progresses in a sustainable manner downstream. Small forests and ecologically landscaped areas were also being created alongside the river as part of the environmental rehabilitation.
“Central to the project has been the public participation,” says Stander. “Without the community’s voice, the problems we are addressing will never be solved.”
Lungi Hlatshwayo, director, WFTF, has played an integral role in the public participation campaign funded by the Goethe Institute and the British Council.
This campaign aims to inform, involve and collaborate with the community in
developing relevant interventions.
“We take a bottom-up approach to finding collaborative solutions that are inclusive and inviting the community to be part of the solution – creating a citizen dialogue and building trust and associations,” says Hlatshwayo.
The stakeholders that have been engaged range from the elderly, shop owners, recyclers, schoolchildren and businesspeople to Friends of the Jukskei in the downstream township of Alexandra.
With the community taking ownership, a number of valuable capacity-building
initiatives have been planned – including the removal of alien invasive plants, the planting of fruit trees, and an environmental education programme for children to assist in the prevention of dumping. She highlights that the campaign had presented various work creating opportunities in the circular economy, such as basket-weaving and firewood from invasive trees. “We have also worked together with other organisations in the Alexandra township to clean and rehabilitate the river.”
