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Access to water and food is a social justice issue

16 October 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Rulanzen Martin

Dr Thuli Mphambukeli and Victor Okorie — Water is a fundamental human right, says Dr Thulisile Mphambukeli, (left) Senior Lecturer at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. On the right is Dr Victor Okorie.

Research shows that “access to water and food remains critical to the survival and stability of any nation”. This is according to a team of academics that has been hard at work exploring ways in which to secure water and food in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS nations).

These scholars from the University of the Free State (UFS) and North-West University recently published a paper titled: Exploring the Political Economy of Water and Food Security Nexus in BRICS. Dr Thulisile Mphambukeli, Dr Victor Okorie, and Prof Samuel Amusan are members of the Food Security Research Cluster of the South African BRICS Think Tank that has been fervently tackling the water and food in(security) challenge.

Water as a key to social justice

The team argues that unequal access and distribution of water has in the past led to violent conflict. The paper cites Qwaqwa as one of the many areas affected by water-service protests in the recent past. “Water and food crises are worsening thanks to the intensification of climate change, rapid urbanisation, nutrition transition and population growth. Solutions to these crises partly lie in cooperation and collaboration among nation states, regional economic commissions, and global power brokers.”

What are some of the local solutions? According to the scholars: “For agronomic and husbandry practices, there is a pressing need for research activities on innovative ways of supplying water to crops and animals such that water loss through evaporation and run-off is significantly reduced.

“Similarly, research activities on redesigning toilets, especially the urinary section – where more than nine litres of water are used to flush less than one cubic centimetre of urine – are timely in the context of managing the water and food security nexus crises.”

Improving livelihoods

In an effort to achieve food security, BRICS aims to stimulate domestic capacity for production. Food and nutrition security cannot be achieved without water security, and vice versa.

It is evident that the water and food insecurity issues are complex. However, concerted efforts are being made by various sectors to solve these challenges and improve the livelihoods of urban and rural citizens within BRICS nations.

News Archive

UFS forms International Advisory Council

2010-11-09

The University of the Free State (UFS) has established an International Advisory Council (IAC) to advise the leadership of the university on its future positioning strategies, especially in relation to its international ambitions as a place of scholarship and service among the leading universities in the world.

The Council, constituted by Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, consists of nine high-profile international experts with proven expertise, leadership, influence and experience.

“Since the appointment of Prof. Jansen, the leadership of the university has been revising and aligning several functions as part of a thrust to position the institution to meet 21st century national, regional and international challenges,” says Prof. Aldo Stroebel, Director of International Affairs at the UFS.

The appointment of the IAC is one of the strategies to advise and guide the UFS during the next phase of development and growth.

The university is fortunate to have attracted council members from various spheres of influence who can provide strategic guidance and bring cutting-edge expertise to bear on the policies, strategies and actions plans of the UFS. Among them are Prof. Brenda Gourley, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Natal (now UKZN); Mr Gert Grobler, SA Ambassador to Japan; and Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ncquka, Former Deputy-President of South Africa, and Executive Chairperson of the Umlambo Foundation.

The first meeting of the Council will take place from 10-13 November 2010. During this meeting the Council will advise the university leadership on the positioning of the UFS in a global knowledge economy; research excellence; excellence in the scholarship of teaching and learning; student engagement and transformation; and other strategic programmes of focus, including engaged scholarship.

The other Council members are:

- Prof. Joel Samoff: Professor of African Studies, Stanford University, USA (Chairperson)
- Prof Luc D’Haese: Chairperson: University International Committee and Advisor to the Rector, University of Antwerp, Belgium
- Prof. Masafumi Nagao: United Nations University and International Christian University, Japan
- Dr Uri Ofir: International Entrepreneur and Business Development Specialist, Scientech Inc., Switzerland
- Prof. Alice Pell: Vice-Provost International Affairs, Cornell University, USA
- Prof. Akilagpa Sawyerr: Former Secretary-General, Association of African Universities (AAU), Ghana

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (actg)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za
8 November 2010

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