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NEWSLETTER
Issue 4 -
December 2002
Welcome
to PiM 2002! Welcome to Cape Town!
The International Ocean Institute of Southern Africa (IOISA) welcomes all delegates to PIM2002! For the first time in it's 30-year history, this prestigious international conference is being held in Africa and the University of the Western Cape is the proud venue and IOISA the proud host.
The University of the Western Cape is renowned for its achievements and being the first in many areas and so it seems appropriate that it should be the venue to host the first African PIM symposium. The University will cater for all delegates needs in that its facilities include postal and faxing services, telephone and email/internet services, a travel agency and a large cafeteria.
The theme of this conference, The Ocean in the New Economy seeks to explore problems created within the Ocean by the new economy and, more importantly, to identify opportunities for sustainable use that arise out of interactions between the new economy and the Global Ocean. The week will be dedicated to dealing with 8 sub themes of food, security, living space, communication, transport, industry, recreation and resource management. Speakers are from all over the Globe including Japan, Chile, Kenya, Fiji and of course South Africa!
Cape Town is a truly beautiful city with so many to offer visitors, and delegates are fortunate in that the conference organizers have made sure that they are shown the city's natural beauty as well as the beauty of its people. The summer days of Cape Town are long, giving delegates time to enjoy the beautiful sunsets and the environment after conference hours.
The mid-symposium excursions will take delegates to view some of the attractions of the City. Betty's Bay, east of Cape Town, is where they will encounter a colony of African jackass penguins and at Paarl's sewerage works delegates will find a paradise for waterbirds. Cape Point is the most southwesterly point of Africa and the tour will stop along the way at Boulders beach to view the local penguin colony. Delegates will take the ferry to Robben Island, once an infamous prison, “home” to amongst others Mr Nelson Mandela, but now a national museum and monument.
On arriving back at Cape Town Harbour the next stop is the Two Oceans Aquarium for stunning underwater views. Accompanying persons have the best of the conference! Tours to many scenic, historical and cultural places of Cape Town have been arranged. This includes a shopping trip!
Delegates will be exposed to the diverse cultures of Cape Town and South Africa during the evening social functions. These evenings include a traditional Cape Malay meal accompanied by entertainment provided by the Cape Minstrels and a Malay choir. A typical South African barbecue or braai (pron. Br-eye) will be followed by traditional Xhosa food with flavor added by an African marimba band. The Afrikaner settlers will also be represented at the Boerekos evening.
Back to the conference! Panel discussions each day will highlight the issues brought forward during the presentations. These discussions will draw attention to policy issues relating to ocean affairs and in so doing find solutions to problems and identify collaborative opportunities.
We wish to thank our partners; Thales Geosolutions, De Beers Marine, NRF, UWC, DEAT, Maritime Reporter and Sea Harvest.
All in all a truly South African (Capetonian) experience!
Dr Kim Prochazka, Director
IOI-SA
Ms Jocelyn Collins, Deputy Director IOI-SA
Staff
focus: Jennifer Plandt
 Jenny Plandt is one of the most hard-working people at IOI-SA whose dedication to her profession as the Financial Administrator proves why she always seems to find it so difficult to take time out for a little break………..and it proves her belief that “money should not be won, but earned”. She is initially from Athlone, Cape Town and attended St. Theresa's Primary School, proceeded her schooling at Athlone Senior Secondary until grade 11, completed grade 12 at the Cape Tutorial College and is presently furthering her interest in Accounting by completing her Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) degree at UNISA.
Jenny had been informed about the post at IOI-SA by a friend approximately three years ago, applied for the position as Financial Administrator and has been working in what she claims to be a 'good working environment' since then. Her job entails administering budget entities for all projects, financial reporting of all projects, sales and purchases control accounts, reconciliation of salary accounts or entity accounts journal adjustment, account or any other account related queries and basically all accounting related tasks for all projects. She describes her job as satisfactory and as an enhancement for her future career.
Jenny is the eldest of two children, is currently married and has a twelve-year-old daughter whom she simply adores……… apart from her cute Maltese poodle that she loves to bits!!! She enjoys watching sport such as soccer, cricket, rugby, darts and swimming. She loves barbecues nad the outdoor life, enjoys pastas, steaks and wines. She lives for comedies and admits being a prankster especially when she's home with her family. Basically Jenny is a fun-loving person with an excellent sense of humor who loves anything challenging and has a heart and mind devoted to achieving her goals in life.
IOI-SA
hosts continent-wide network on Integrated Waste Management
In April 1998, forty waste management experts met at a workshop in Cape Town to discuss waste management and pollution prevention issues relevant to the SADC region and east Africa. The workshop, which was supported by the Office of the London Convention 1972 at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), called for improved cooperation, networking and capacity building in the field of integrated waste management. A follow-up workshop was held in May 2001, which yielded a conceptual model for a continent-wide communication network to facilitate cooperation and information exchange on waste management issues.
IOI-SA is pleased to announce that we have been tasked by the IMO to develop the network over a trial period of eighteen months. The Southern and East Africa Waste (SEA-WASTE) network, as it is now known, aims to enhance interaction on pollution issues that impact on all aquatic environments in the region. Its scope encompasses both coastal and landlocked countries.
Using an interactive website, electronic mail and a print newsletter, the network provides a forum for dialogue and information sharing on issues such as:
Capacity building for dealing with waste management;
Disaster and contingency management;
National and regional waste management policy;
The ratification of international conventions; and
Funding sources for dealing within aquatic pollution.
In its first four months of operation, SEA-WASTE has secured interest from 48 key professionals and experts representing 12 African countries. The network's website can be accessed at http://seawaste.uwc.ac.za/ and serves as a porta to numerous organisations involved in pollution prevention and control. Interested persons can register online to gain access to more interactive
facilities such as issue-specific discussion forums, searchable databases and a clearinghouse of expert resources. The website will be used actively to solicit steering input from members on issues relating to the network's further development.
IOI-SA is presently accepting nominations for volunteer groups to serve as country-level focal points of the network. Focal points have the opportunity to moderate online discussions on issues identified by members and will ensure that country-level issues receive coverage in the network's newsletter. A number of experts within the current group of members have already pledged their commitment to promote the network on a national level and to encourage information exchange between country-level groups and the wider network. With these regional arrangements in place, the SEA-WASTE network will soon be able to produce its first newsletter, which will be distributed to members in both print and electronic format.
For further information on the project and its current status, visit the network's website or contact:
Mr. Yazeed Petersen
Tel +27 21 959 34 08
Fax +27 21 959 12 13
Ypetersen@uwc.ac.za
Contributed by: Yazeed Petersen
Staff
Profile: Yazeed Petersen
Yazeed Petersen was born in Johannesburg and grew up in Kimberley and Maritzburg. He attended Eastwood Secondary in Natal before moving on to the University of Natal, where he completed a Masters degree in Environment and Development. He read about an offer to do research on Information Technology in environmental education. This was circulated by Prof. Derek Keats (former IOI-SA director and professor of Botany) who was based in the Botany Department of the University of the Western Cape. He contacted Prof. Keats in 1998 and the rest, as they say is history. It was his interest in the subjects - communication, environment, education and technology innovation, which led him up the path he eventually travelled. He says the influence of his communication lecturer played an important role in his interest in communication and environmental matters. Another factor was his stint as radio presenter for the University of Natal and his fascination for sound engineering.
Yazeed is currently working on the 'SEA-WASTE Network' project for IOI-SA, which enhances communication amongst waste management professionals in Africa. For more information on this project please read the article on page 4. His main goals at this stage are to complete his PhD and make a success of the network. In future he would like to do work that uses Internet technologies to support scientists in their field of work. However, there is nothing definite about that as he has discovered that 'life is what happens to you, while you're making other plans'. This seems to be the philosophy that he has adopted regarding his future since it has worked so well for him up to now.
Who knows what he will get involved in next!
On a more personal note he enjoys taking walks in wide-open spaces but is too busy with his degree to do even that. He likes watching movies, is learning to play an acoustic guitar, pays close attention to world affairs and enjoys eating Italian food and Danish pastries. He is also quite the philosopher and very environmentally friendly, which is summed up in this quote “Live simply, so others may simply live”.
| IOI-SA
achievements for 2002 |
- The establishment of an Advisory Board;
- Hosted an Open Day in June 2002;
- Organised and hosted PiM 2002 conference;
- Institutional restructuring;
- Procured numerous projects and related funding;
- Represented at several international and national conferences and meetings;
- Forged new partnerships;
- Published a successful newsletter;
- Attained 15-year seawater lease for the Seaweed Mariculture Operations with Maribus industries;
- Staff attendance at UN-DOALOS training course;
- New Mission statement
and
- Awarded tender for IMO’s SeaWaste Project.
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IOI-SA
Programme: Biodiversity, conservation & environmental
assessment
The aim of the programme is to recognize the need to research and understand marine and coastal biodiversity and ecology in order to achieve sustainable use of resources. It therefore strives to address issues that lead to the loss of our valuable biodiversity. The programme activities includes research studies, environmental assessments; consulting work, and also involves the co-operation of a number of institutions to aid in the implementation of conservation initiatives and international conventions.
We have several projects within this programme, namely:
1. Biodiversity research: Corallines
2. GIWA: Benguela Current
3. Robben Island Marine Outfall Project
4. SeaWaste Network for Aquatic Pollution
5. Seaweed Africa Database
1. Biodiversity research: Corallines
Until recently, the main biodiversity studies focused on coralline algae. The National Research Foundation (NRF) funds the project and postgraduate students mainly do the research that forms part of their thesis.
Coralline algae are red encrusting algae that are found in all oceans over the world, they are one of the least known algae.
Coralline Uses:
important in the ecology of coral reefs because they help to cement the reef together
medicine and in medical science (dental bone implants)
calcium mineral supplements, soil pH conditioners
2. Global International Waters Assessment Benguela Current
IOI-SA has acted as the subregional focal point for the Benguela Current for the Global International Waters Assessment (GIWA) during 2001 and 2002. GIWA is a project of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and is being implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the University of Kalmar in Sweden.
GIWA is designed to provide GEF with a global framework of priority environmental issues related to transboundary waters. The project focuses on both marine and freshwater systems with transboundary importance. One of the unique features of GIWA is that the impacts of environmental degradation are assessed not only in the natural, but also in the socio-economic environment, and the interplay between these is highlighted. GIWA also identifies the root causes of environmental degradation, and to construct plausible policy options that could be employed in order to mitigate or correct such degradation. For the purposes of GIWA, the assessments are being done in 66 subregions around the world, of which the Benguela Current is one.
3. Robben Island Marine Outfall Project
IOI-SA is involved with an environmental impact assessment project at the Robben Island Museum funded by ARUP Environmental, Department of Public Works and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The study focuses on water quality as result of a newly built pipeline has been built on the east side of the Island and is used for discharge of sewage. The aim of the project is to test the performance of the newly constructed Robben Island outfall in terms of actual dilutions achievable at various distances from the diffuser, and whether this met the intended design criteria.
4. SeaWaste Network for Aquatic Pollution
In 2002 IOI-SA was awarded a tender by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to develop an online network for aquatic pollution in southern and eastern Africa, “SeaWaste”. The project aims to enhance information exchange on pollution issues that effect all aquatic environments in Southern and East Africa (hence the name SEA-WASTE) The SeaWaste network will provide an online forum for people involved in aquatic pollution at all levels, from scientific research to oil spill contingency planning. Through this network, those with an interest in aquatic pollution will be able to share documents with other members, enter discussion fora, and share news and other information relating to aquatic pollution.
5.Seaweed Africa Database Project
SeaweedAFRICA is a multinational project to expand Algaebase, a global biodiversity database of seaweed information, to include information on seaweeds for the whole of the African continent. This includes information on the ecology, distribution, potential and realized uses, correct harvesting methods and mariculture procedures. Information on the legal framework within which seaweeds are used will also be included. This project is being done in collaboration with the National University of Ireland in Galway, the University of Cape Town, the Division of Marine and Coastal Management of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in South Africa, the University of Namibia, IOI East Africa, the University of Stockholm, and the University of Porto in Portugal. The project is funded exclusively through the European Union. IOI-SA's role is in the development of the technology behind the database, which will be accessible, and managed, via the Internet.
For further information and queries contact:
The Programme Coordinator
Carmen Ras
Tel: (021) 959-2497
Fax: (021) 959-1213
E-mail: cras@uwc.ac.za
Review
of IOI-SA programmes for 2002
This is a review of IOI-SA's 4 programmes for 2002.
Education Through Technology
The Knowledge Environment for Web-based Learning (KEWL) is one of the mainstay projects within the programme and is the course development and delivery tool of choice at UWC, and members of IOI-SA still continue to contribute to the source code of the KEWL project.
The IOIVU project is a relatively new project and is still being developed. Currently there are four courses that have been: (i) Coastal and Oceanic Ecosystems and Processes, (ii) Coastal Area Management, (iii) Managing Coastal Pollution, and (iv) Sustainable Livelihoods.
The first phase of South African Coastal Information Centre (SACoast) will be completed at the end of 2002, after which IOI-SA will have to tender for the second phase of this project. IOI-SA is developing a course for the Train-Sea-Coast (TSC) Global Ballast Water (Globallast) Programme, which will be completed in December 2002. The programme aims to continue its goal of enhancing education through technology for 2003.
Biodiversity, Conservation & Environmental assessment
As always, we have had numerous successes in our “Biodiversity, Conservation and Environmental Assessment” programme. The projects have all achieved successful outcomes and new and exciting challenges are still awaiting us. The biodiversity studies are all in their final stages and the students are anxiously working towards completion. We hope to see the concluding results soon!
The environmental assessment project at Robben Island has proved to be both challenging and exciting. But, besides going on field trips we also had laboratory work and analysis. And of course, that's the part everyone hates, but low and behold, we are nearing the end of this project with our final sampling trip early in 2003.
The Seaweed Africa database project has received numerous compliments for their website and our team is working non-stop to have the site up and running as efficiently as possible. Scientists from Ireland, Sweden, France, Portugal, Kenya, Moçambique, South Africa, Namibia and Brazil are involved in this project. The second meeting of partners took place in Mombasa, Kenya from the 18th-22nd November 2002. As some projects are reaching completion, new projects are in the pipeline for 2003.
People, Oceans and Coasts
It has been a busy year for the “People, oceans and coasts” programme. Firstly, within the West Coast Cookbook Project recipes were collected from the members of the Bergrivier Vissersvroue Vereeniging (BVV) and also community members from towns along the west coast. These recipes were then tested with Mrs Ina Paarman in attendance. The selected recipes, together with the historical data collected by Mr Ernie Messina are now with Struik Publishers. We look forward to the book being on the shelves by June 2003.
Secondly, Maribus Industries (Seaweed Mariculture operation) received a kelp concession earlier in the year and have been collecting kelp from the coastline. Most recently they were awarded a 15-year water lease that will allow the pilot project of the Gracilaria farming to take place.
At present a number of workshops are being undertaken including; Shareholders training, skipper training, directors training, etc. Two directors from Maribus Industries will also be going to Europe to make contact with seaweed buyers and processors.
Lastly, the Worms Project got off the ground with the arrival of Ceri Lewis who will be conducting a postdoctoral study on the mariculture of two species of polychaete worms. With all that has happened within this programme, the outlook for 2003 seems even busier.
IOI-Online Services
It has been a “pretty hectic” year to say the least. IOI-SA Online Services has been involved in many projects over the past year that include developing websites for: PiM2002, the UWC HIV
Aids Programme, SANTED, Student Development Project, UKUVUKA FireStop Campaign and a revamp of the official website of the University of the Western Cape. We have also produced a number of print materials for various departments on campus including Information and Communication Services, Computer Sciences and the Graduate Recruitment Programme.
In short, it has been a successful year. We look forward to a new and hopefully even more prosperous New Year. Online Services has taken all and every challenge in its stride and has grown from strength to strength.
Enquiries:
Editors:
Jocelyn Collins Tel. +27 21 959 2566 jcollins@uwc.ac.za
Tanya Potts Tel. +27 21 959 2594 tpotts@uwc.ac.za
Lucille Oliphant Tel. +27 21 959 2342 loliphant@uwc.ac.za
Deidre Bester Tel. +27 21 959 3782 dbester@uwc.ac.za
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