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24 February 2023 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied
Prof Paul Oberholster
Prof Paul Oberholster is Director of the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of the Free State (UFS) and winner of the NSTF-Water Research Commission (WRC) Award for his contribution to water resource management in South Africa in 2021.
This year has already seen severe natural disasters across the world, including devastating floods and forest fires, which serve as reminders of the planet's fragility and the importance of addressing the impacts of climate change. Nature-based solutions can play a critical role in mitigating climate change and offer a range of benefits to both people and the planet.

Prof Paul Oberholster – Director of the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of the Free State (UFS) – and his team played their part by researching nature-based solutions as an alternative to treating acid mine drainage (AMD) and domestic wastewater. Freshwater algae as a phycoremediation solution approach have the potential to help society and the environment in several ways.  

Prof Oberholster, winner of the NSTF-Water Research Commission (WRC) Award for his contribution to water resource management in South Africa in 2021, says nature-based solutions also play a vital role in realising the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which was adopted during the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) on 19 December 2022 in Montreal, Canada. The GBF sets global targets for 2030 that aim to effectively conserve and manage at least 30% of the world's lands, inland waters, coastal areas, and oceans, prioritise ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas, restore at least 30% of degraded ecosystems, reduce the loss of areas of high biodiversity importance, cut global food waste in half, and significantly reduce over-consumption and waste generation.

What are nature-based solutions?

According to Prof Oberholster, nature-based solutions are approaches that utilise natural ecosystem processes, functions, and structures to address a variety of planetary health challenges, including climate change. These solutions involve protecting, restoring, regenerating, and sustainably managing natural ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands, and oceans, to enhance their ability to store carbon, regulate water flow, reinstate ecosystem services, and provide habitat for wildlife.

The significance of nature-based solutions regarding climate change adaptation is multifaceted. Firstly, natural ecosystems are essential for regulating the earth's climate, as they absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which helps to mitigate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. 

Secondly, nature-based solutions can help to reduce the vulnerability of human communities to the impact of climate change, such as flooding, drought, and extreme weather events. Thirdly, nature-based solutions can provide multiple benefits beyond climate change adaptation, such as enhancing biodiversity, supporting sustainable livelihoods, and improving human health and well-being.

Prof Oberholster’s work

Algae-based treatment systems use bio-stimulation applications and natural processes to remove pollutants from water, which can be more cost-effective and produce less waste. Traditional treatment methods for AMD and domestic wastewater often rely on using chemicals or energy-intensive processes, which can be expensive and have negative environmental impacts. 

"Algae-based treatment systems can help mitigate the environmental impacts of AMD and domestic wastewater by removing pollutants such as heavy metals and reducing the acidity of the water. This can help restore the ecosystem and protect public health. Similarly, algae-based treatment systems can remove nutrients from domestic wastewater, reducing its environmental impact and preventing eutrophication, which can harm aquatic life," says Prof Oberholster.

Clean water and sanitation, forestry (plant life and agriculture), and climate change are part of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) making Prof Oberholster's research much more important. 


Meet a Limnologist, Paul Oberholster (NSTF-South32 Award Winner): 


Significance of nature-based solutions

According to him, there are several reasons why we should make more use of nature-based solutions. It can help reduce our carbon footprint and mitigate the impact of climate change. It can help protect the environment and promote biodiversity. By reducing waste and pollution, we can preserve natural resources and ecosystems and ensure they remain healthy and vibrant for future generations.

Dr Yolandi Schoeman , a postdoc student of Prof Oberholster, says the significance of nature-based solutions is multifaceted and includes environmental, social, and economic benefits. Nature-based solutions can play a critical role in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon, enhancing carbon sinks, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By protecting and restoring natural ecosystems, we can enhance their ability to store carbon, which in turn helps to mitigate the effects of climate change.
"These solutions are also important for climate change adaptation. Nature-based solutions can also help to reduce the vulnerability of human communities to the impact of climate change, such as flooding, drought, and extreme weather events. By regenerating natural wetlands and floodplains, for example, we can help to reduce the risk of flooding, while reforestation can help to prevent soil erosion and landslides,'' says Dr Schoeman.

According to her, rewilding is another key reason why nature-based solutions are critical in the process of regenerating natural ecosystems. Through rewilding, habitat can be reinstated for a wide range of plant and animal species, lost species guilds can be restored by giving them space to thrive, population enhancement can be enabled, and key native species can be reintroduced as essential ecosystem builders. By protecting, regenerating, and restoring these ecosystems, we can help conserve biodiversity and prevent species loss, ultimately securing our own survival on earth.

UFS research initiative relating to nature-based solutions 

The UFS has a number of ongoing research initiatives and projects focused on nature-based technology solutions, including projects focused on climate adaptation in water resource management, establishing the water-climate-food-rewilding-land nexus as a planetary health ‘stock-take’ of ecosystems, reducing water usage, reinstating connections as coupled human and natural systems, enabling rewilding, and increasing water efficiency. 

The UFS is also involved in research that addresses water pollution through developing and implementing nature-based systems such as hybrid constructed wetlands, phytoremediation and phycoremediation, regenerating natural wetland systems and riparian buffer zones, bio-remediation, design of bio-intelligent systems, integrating grey and green infrastructure, and the use of big data and analytics in the design and management of nature-based solutions for water, according to Dr Schoeman. 

Ecological Engineering Institute of Africa

Prof Oberholster is leading a globally significant initiative that has recently been established at the UFS – the Ecological Engineering Institute of Africa (EEIA). The EEIA's managing members include scientists and engineers from across the world, including Egypt, Ghana, Greece, and the United States of America (USA). 

Prof William Mitsch, an original co-founder of the EEIA, is also a managing member. Prof Mitsch, regarded as the best wetland scientist in the world, is also known for his positions as director of the Everglades Wetland Research Park, United States National Ramsar committee chair (to name but a few), and is an ecological engineer who was the co-laureate of the 2004 Stockholm Water Prize. 

The EEIA intends to promote interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing the field of ecological engineering in Africa and globally, and to encourage research in this innovative field. The EEIA's goal is also to establish a fully functional research and training facility, to develop various undergraduate and postgraduate curricula, and to provide international accreditation to ecological engineers. 

Snow

Evaluating on-site performance of Africa’s first ecologically engineered wetland treating a cocktail of anthropogenically impacted water from the agricultural, mining, and industrial sectors in Emalahleni, South Africa.

Forest

Phycoremediation integrated with phytoremediation in an ecologically engineered wetland to treat mine and industrial-impacted water.

Mountains

Dr Yolandi Schoeman (UFS), together with Mr Pieter Nel from North West Parks Board. Her nexus research project covers an area of more than 20 000 km² in South Africa to develop a water-climate-food-rewilding-land nexus as a novel approach to determining the planetary health status quo and boundaries of ecosystems as coupled human-natural systems.

News Archive

Official opening ceremony of the UFS Qwaqwa Campus
2006-02-15

Official opening ceremony of the UFS Qwaqwa Campus
11th February 2006 – Multipurpose Hall

Opening Speech:
Prof. Peter A. Mbati
Campus Principal

Successfully rising to the challenges of incorporations and mergers – developing a vibrant and academically stimulating satellite campus of the University of the Free State.

Thank you Mr. Program Director and good morning ladies and gentlemen.

I wish to once again welcome all of you to the official opening ceremony of the University of the Free State QQ campus.  Thank you for taking time to share with us an important date in our campus academic calendar.  I bring you greetings from our Rector and Vice Chancellor Prof. Frederick Fourie.

During such occasions we try and reflect on important matters that have affected us as an institution in the preceding year, commit ourselves to specific objectives for the current year, while planning for the proceeding year.

Today I shall be talking on Successfully rising to the challenges of incorporations and mergers – developing a vibrant and academically stimulating satellite campus of the University of the Free State’.

SRC inauguration
I would like to congratulate the SRC President and the entire SRC leadership for being elected into important positions of student leadership and authority. 

As a university we are proud of the quality of our student leadership on the Qwaqwa campus.  I am confident that you young leaders will rise to the challenges of your office and discharge your duties with diligence and without fear or favour.  That you will rise above your party affiliations and provide effective leadership to the entire student body on campus.
                              
Leadership is complex and requires you to be objective, just and fair in your approach to the many challenges that you will encounter.  You will be judged not by the populist decision that you take when confronted with difficult choices, but rather, on the wisdom that you exercise in reaching consensus in decision making processes.

The era when management and student leadership viewed each other with suspicion and as adversaries is long gone.  Management, academic and administrative staff, parents and students must have common agendas in as far the  quality growth and development of our university is concerned and to strive towards academic excellence.  I leave the challenge to you students, and more so to the inaugurated student leaders to define your agenda in achieving this noble objective.  I trust that you will make the right choices.

Brief history of incorporation
On the recommendations of the National Working Group of Higher Education, the Qwaqwa Campus of the then University of the North was incorporated into the University of the Free State on 1st January 2003.  We suddenly had to move from a campus that was originally semi-autonomous and with its own culture developed over almost 20 years, into a campus that had to operate as a fully integrated campus of the UFS, a 100 year old institution with its distinct culture.

Following incorporation, we not only had to continue with our core business of teaching, learning, research and community service, but we also had to engage in other important aspects such as exploring the most appropriate models of governance for the campus, encouraging dialogue and interactions at all levels between personnel at the different campuses with a view to developing trust between colleagues. And with the added dimensions such as participation in the transformation task team we in effect are at the fore front of developing a new institutional culture at the UFS and a truly South African University.

UFS Strategic objectives
The strategic and transformation priorities of the University of the Free State for 2006 – 2008 as approved by the Executive Management at its retreat in January 2006 are:

  • Quality and Excellence
  • Equity, diversity and redress
  • Financial sustainability
  • Regional co-operation and engagement

Central to this priority is the integration of the Qwaqwa campus as a valuable constituent part of the UFS, and the strategic reconfiguration of the campus in order that the UFS can play a meaningful role in regional engagement and development.

  • National leadership

The five strategic objectives cannot be viewed in isolation and run simultaneously and in concert with each other. 

The Question must therefore be what we on the QQ campus, staff and students, parents and our broader community are willing to do to achieve these strategic objectives. The reconfiguration and strategic planning of this campus, and therefore its success, must be a collaborative effort between colleagues at QQ and on the main campus.  We must all be ready to work together, to plan together, to shoulder responsibilities together and sometimes, to share the pain and disappointments together. 

The second question must therefore be: are we prepared to go that extra mile for our campus to ensure that we claim our rightful stake within the ranks of well respected academic institutions of higher learning in this country?  At this point in its history this campus requires committed men and women from across the cultural spectrum who appreciate the challenges ahead of us and who are ready to give of their best and to constructively engage at all levels to make this dream a reality.  Because this dream is possible and this dream will be realized!

Quality and Excellence (1st strategic objective)

As mentioned by the Rector in his speech at the official opening ceremony of the university on the main campus on Friday 3rd February, the university will in 2006 pay extra attention to Quality and Excellence.  This is informed by the Higher Education Quality Committee’s (HEQC) institutional audit which is scheduled to take place this year.  Our university as well as several other HEI’s will be subjected to this audit.  This will call for a lot of hard work on your part in preparation for a successful audit and in this regard therefore I request for your cooperation.

As a further step in confirming our commitment to quality and excellence, we have simultaneously introduced on the QQ campus and the main campus workshops on performance management systems to a cohort group.  This will be expanded in 2006 to a wider group of managers on the QQ campus to include among others all Program Heads and Subject Heads. PMS is an invaluable tool for fair, effective and efficient management of a very important resource on campus – the human resource.  Benefits of PMS include among others:

  • Instilling and enriching a culture of performance management (quality assurance) as an integral part of the day to day functioning of staff at the campus
  • Improving staff performance through mentoring, development and training

Tri campus project
One of the more important projects that we as a university undertook in 2005 was the Tri Campus Project which was coordinated by the Free State Higher Education Consortium (FSHEC) through Niel Butcher and Associates consultants.

The Tri-Campus project focused on the strategic planning for higher education campuses in the Free State that have been incorporated with UFS and CUT during the reshaping of the South African higher education landscape. The Bloemfontein Vista campus and the Qwaqwa campus of the University of the North were incorporated with the UFS, and the Welkom Vista campus with the CUT.

The planning process involved a range of research and consultation activities during the course of 2005. This included:

  • Conducting situational analyses of the Qwaqwa campus during which staff and students were widely consulted;
  • Consulting with the campus and with a range of stakeholders in the sub-region
  • Review of the Free State Provincial Growth and Development Strategy and Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) of the regions and other research of relevance to the sub-regions, province and country.

An operational framework for the reconfiguration of the campus with a range of possible Program Qualification Mixes has been produced.  In December 2005, the Rector, the Vice Rector Academic Planning Prof. Magda Fourie and I discussed this document with senior members of the DoE in Pretoria, and we will soon be meeting with the National Minister of Education Me Naledi Pandor for her guidance and to seek support in the further refinement of the document and subsequent implementation.

Recapitalization
This year a further R 6 M has been budgeted for recapitalization.  In about two weeks time the third of phase of renovations on campus will commence and attention will be given to the administration building, the humanities and the outstanding work in the lecture hall complex.  There- after the library, sciences and education buildings will follow.  As you will recall a substantial portion of the R 8.4 million in 2005 was used to upgrade the student residences and the lecture hall complex.

I am certain that the renovations and upgrading of our infrastructure and physical facilities including landscaping will create an enabling environment for you to enjoy your work and studies on this campus.

Renovations come with some measure of inconveniences and I therefore wish to request for your patience and support during this period.

Closing remarks
There is a heightened spirit of optimism on what the future holds for this campus.  This is evident when I talk to a large cross section of staff and students of this campus – and I therefore invite all of you to come and be partners with us on this journey of optimism and hope of what the future holds for the UFS – QQ campus.

Thank you and God bless!

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