Dr Yolandi Schoeman: ‘Humanity holds the pen that can rewrite our future’

November 2024  |  Story Leonie Bolleurs

Yolandi Schoeman 

Dr Yolandi Schoeman is redefining the future of ecological restoration with innovative solutions for both Earth and space. Photo: Supplied.

Dr Yolandi Schoeman, a Senior Lecturer in Ecological Engineering in the Centre for Mineral Biogeochemistry at the University of the Free State (UFS) and the Ecological Engineering Institute of Africa, was captivated by the synergy between engineering and the natural sciences from a young age.

She said that the potential within ecological engineering to regenerate ecosystems at all scales, from the microscopic to vast landscapes, really drew her in. “This field offers solutions not only for daily sustainability challenges but also for the grave threats to planetary health and human well-being. However, when I was starting out, ecological engineering wasn't recognised as a formal career path in South Africa, and studying it in the United States wasn't feasible for me at the time. So, I explored various educational paths in civil engineering and natural sciences, aiming to merge these disciplines in my projects and research. My ultimate goal has been to establish and develop the field of ecological engineering both in South Africa and across Africa,” she explained.

Conventional and extreme ecological engineering

Dr Schoeman’s work in ecological engineering spans two main areas: conventional and extreme ecological engineering. On the conventional side, she says she is focusing on projects like designing constructed wetlands to naturally treat water, implementing urban greening initiatives to cool cities and manage stormwater, and regenerating various habitats to bolster biodiversity. In terms of extreme ecological engineering, she focuses on developing innovative solutions for ecosystems that have been severely impacted by disasters like industrial accidents or natural calamities.

Additionally, she is pioneering and leading efforts in astro-ecological engineering, applying these principles to rehabilitate severely damaged terrestrial environments while exploring their potential for extraterrestrial applications, advancing both sustainability and ecological restoration.

There are two moments in her journey that Dr Schoeman recalled helped shape her career. One was being invited to participate in the 2006 Brightest Young Minds initiative, hosted by the University of Stellenbosch. She said that it was the first platform where she could really develop and share her ideas and vision in ecological engineering. “I contributed to a publication titled Engineering Engineering, which focused on integrating nature into every facet of development and operations. That experience validated my vision of combining engineering and natural systems.”

The other transformative experience came during her studies in Executive Leadership at the Skolkovo School of Management in Moscow. “I was tasked with leading a multidisciplinary, international team that had to create a sustainability strategy for a major international iron, steel and vanadium company. The project pushed me to defend sustainability solutions that would alter the way this industrial giant operated. It was a deeply challenging process that changed my perception of true sustainability and what it means to deliver solutions that are both impactful and make business sense. That moment forced me to step out of the comfort zone of conventional sustainability and reorient my path toward pursuing solutions that seemed almost impossible, but necessary.”
 

Advancing ecological engineering across Africa

Two of the most important research projects she has been involved in include advancing ecological engineering across Africa and restoring and managing ecosystems that are considered beyond conventional repair. The first project involved establishing an international institution that spearheads various innovative research areas, including exploring floating treatment wetlands, different types of constructed wetlands, and technologies for smarter ecosystem management in urban and rural contexts. “This comprehensive project has substantially elevated the global understanding and application of ecological engineering, addressing a spectrum of sustainability challenges,” she said.

In the second project she worked with a team that tackled severely degraded environments like post-mining landscapes, heavily polluted industrial sites, and areas where ecosystem functionality has been drastically compromised. She also aims to develop the projects further and to  collaborate with agencies like NASA to design life-support systems for future space habitats. “These systems are not limited to space applications, but are also designed to address complex planetary health issues in extreme environments on Earth, such as war zones, nuclear disaster areas, and sites affected by climatic catastrophes,” she remarked.

Dr Schoeman is responsible for developing an innovative solution to address severe environmental issues, the "Astroecological Engineering System" (AES). “This system uniquely integrates terrestrial ecological engineering principles with astro-ecological technologies to tackle some of the most challenging environmental restoration projects on Earth and potentially in future space habitats,” she stated, adding that AES is specifically designed for restoring heavily degraded or contaminated ecosystems – situations where traditional restoration methods are inadequate.

Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible

She believes AES is a versatile tool for addressing some of the most daunting environmental challenges we currently face. This passion for tackling seemingly insurmountable problems is what drives her work.

“These are the issues that often push the boundaries of what's possible in ecological engineering. Each project that seems 'impossible' provides an opportunity not just to solve a problem, but to innovate and create methods that can be applied globally. It's about turning what was once thought unachievable into tangible, impactful realities that improve our environment and our relationship with the natural world. I truly believe that humanity holds the pen that can rewrite our future.”

About the future, she says that over the next 15 years she would like to see extreme ecological engineering, bolstered by astro-ecological insights, evolve into a foundational strategy in global environmental management. This approach will be key in scenarios where traditional restoration methods are inadequate. “My goal is to integrate these advanced, resilient techniques into mainstream disaster response and urban planning processes worldwide, preparing ecosystems and communities to withstand and adapt to future ecological stresses,” she said.

She also envisions a future where the principles of extreme and astro-ecological engineering are routinely taught in academic institutions and incorporated into public policy. “By raising awareness and building expertise on a global scale, I aim to cultivate a new generation of engineers – those who are not only equipped to tackle severe environmental crises on Earth but are also prepared for the ecological challenges we may face in space. This ambitious vision drives a significant shift towards more resilient and adaptive management of Earth's ecosystems, ensuring they thrive amidst the challenges of the 21st century and beyond.”

 

 

 
 

 
 

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