The water infrastructure intelligent would have effect on
water demands on the continent, reports NaijaAgroNet.
The chief executive officer (CEO) for Siemens Southern and
Eastern Africa, Sabine Dall’Omo, gave this insight in South Africa, saying that
the rapid urbanisation across the continent is expected to have effect on water
demands, just as its estimated that by the year 2030, the world will need 40
per cent more water than its current accessible, reliable supply.
NaijaAgroNet also reported that compounding the issue, according to the UN’s Water for Life Report, is that approximately 300 of the 800 million inhabitants in Sub-Saharan Africa
live in a water-scarce environment. While in South Africa’s Western Cape region
there is a drought that one meteorologist referred to as a once-in-628-years weather event.
“Water is vital to human existence. We depend on the
resource to carry out important economic activities and provide proper
sanitation, which are crucial elements to well-being and health. If neglected there will far reaching
implications for government, business and ultimately society,” Dall’Omo.
Awareness about the importance and finite availability of
the resource are crucial to widespread behaviour change and necessary to ensure
environmental sustainability, and capacity for future generations. Water education should not be restricted to scientific
or factual knowledge but be holistic and include decision makers, water
technicians, communities, stakeholders and media to promote systemic change.
When a resource is in such short supply, managing and
producing it effectively is essential. Digitalization of the existing
infrastructure is just one water wise move for both the public and private
sector.
The water industry has been focused on ushering in a new era
of water management, with an emphasis on automation, the Internet of Things
(IoT) and more sophisticated data management and analysis software that enables
the water end user or plant operator to have valuable, actionable information.
This proactive focus is driving digital transformation for
both utilities and industrial plants, and enables them to not only detect and
react to an issue when it occurs but also predict and prevent issues from occurring.
In South Africa, local municipalities are losing up to 36
per cent of bulk water due to pipe leaks
and theft. Smart water management technologies and digital management systems
combined with faster response times could dramatically increase water
reliability and significantly reduce losses.
Prioritising the use of intelligent, networked systems will conserve energy, avoid
water losses and curb resource consumption. By having a 360 degree view of a
water system, solutions can be pre-emptively identified.
As we progress further into the Fourth Industrial
Revolution, agility and inventiveness will become a pivotal requirement for the
new world order. Climate change and global water shortages are a collective concern. In the latest World
Economic Forum Global Risks Report, water crises ranks 20th as one of the
risks respondents are most concerned about for doing business in their country
in the next 10 years.
To overcome this risk we will need to deploy major
innovations. Imagine using 3D virtual technology to see a realistic
representation of an existing water plant and overlaying how automation,
drives, pumps, instrumentation and electrical components can best be
implemented to ensure positive outcomes.
In 2016, Siemens and
Bentley Systems, a global leader in software solutions for advancing
infrastructure, initiated a strategic alliance agreement to drive new business
by accelerating digitalization. Bentley’s advanced knowledge in the field of
water infrastructure means that customers are able to simulate processes in
water plants allowing for predictive maintenance, resource optimization and
energy data management.
Another way in which Siemens is catalysing creativity in the
digital economy is through a recently hosted 48 hour hackathon -
#DigihackAfrica2018 - which brought together Siemens engineers alongside IoT
and digital industry experts from IBM, IoT.Nxt, Atos and Wits University to
work on ideas that will have the potential to disrupt the IIoT environment in
Africa.
The winning team presented a decentralised intelligent water
management system. The fully automated water accounting and leak detection
system is made up of intelligently linked instrumentation from Siemens, flow
meters and pressure transmitters linked to a GPRS 3G module that sends signals
back to an in-house cloud based system. Through a mobile app, water technicians
and engineers on the field will have real-time monitoring access to the flow of
water in any water infrastructure network on a device. The winning team will
travel to Siemens HQ to further develop their idea and receive seed capital
towards making their idea commercially viable.
The value of investment in R&D in Africa to find solutions
to the water crisis should not be underestimated. Being able to have foresight
about future problems and develop solutions, with a uniquely African view and
relevance, will provide the continent with a competitive edge.
Ultimately, effective and smart water management will enable
governments and utilities to provide a safe and reliable resource to its
people. Improved water stewardship pays high economic dividends and technology
can help to make this happen. It seems like a smart start and a step in the
right direction to find sustainable solutions that work for Africa and in
Africa.
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology
