3 rd Southern African Regional Biennial YWP Conference

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1 3 rd Southern African Regional Biennial YWP Conference 16th - 18th July 2013 : Music Conservatorium, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa CALL FOR PAPERS Deadline : 1 st December 2012 Website :

2 Organised by the Southern African Young Water Professionals under the auspices of the International Water Association (IWA) & Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) Visit our website for more information: An invitation to postgraduate students and young professionals (under the age of 35 or who gained their qualifications less than five years ago) working in the water and wastewater sector in Africa PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO COLLEAGUES WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED! DATE AND VENUE Following two very successful conferences in 2010 and 2011 held at the CSIR Conference Centre in Pretoria The 3 rd Regional South African YWP Conference is moving to the Western Cape to take place at the Music Conservatorium of the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa,. This event will be extended to three days, from Tuesday, 16 th to Thursday, 18 th July The conference is expecting 500 delegates from across Africa and beyond. THE YOUNG WATER PROFESSIONALS PROGRAMME It is widely recognised that capacity building and sustainable knowledge transfer are critical concerns for several sectors in Southern Africa, and the water sector is no different. The loss of intellectual assets is a major threat to effective water management particularly in water-scarce countries such as South Africa where the onus has always been on the scientific community to find technological solutions for sectoral challenges. The repercussions for the sector include high staff turnover as well as the loss of skills and institutional memory. Young water professionals in South Africa are therefore faced with the threefold challenge of developing their skills; finding mentors to help them do so; as well as grappling with the added responsibility of re-learning knowledge that could have been retained through sustainable knowledge transfer policies and programmes. Fulfilling the present and future needs of the water and wastewater industries therefore requires the continuous development of a workforce which is adequate in size, capable in skills and strong in leadership. Recognising that Young Water Professionals (students and professionals in the water sector and under the age of 35, or who attained their most recent qualification within the past five years) are the future of the water sector, the Young Water Professionals (YWP) programme was established as an international initiative by the International Water Association (IWA). In Southern Africa, the Southern African Young Water Professionals (SA YWP) in collaboration with the Water Institute for Southern Africa (WISA) has been highly successful in providing opportunities for YWPs to meet and communicate; providing career development opportunities for YWPs; supporting employers with the recruitment and retention of YWPs; as well as ensuring that the Programme remains relevant. The YWP Programme provides a range of activities, services and initiatives to young professionals and students in the water and wastewater sector under the age of 35. The Programme connects with employers, academic institutions and other professional associations to ensure that the future needs of the sector are understood and addressed, and that inter-generational dialogue is created to form links between senior professionals of the sector and the incoming young professionals. The Programme includes the following aims:

3 Connecting people in order to provide opportunities for YWPs to meet and communicate. Career development opportunities for young water professionals through the organisation of workshops and online initiatives. Sector support to help employers with the recruitment and retention of YWPs. Programme development to ensure that the programme remains relevant to the needs of YWPs. Engagement of young water professionals in IWA and WISA programmes and other water related initiatives. CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES The conference aims to provide a forum for young researchers and practitioners across the water sector to present and discuss their work and ideas. Participants will meet peers within water and wastewater science, governance, engineering, technology, management and other areas of the water sector. This conference aims to further career development and young professional capacities in a multi-disciplinary environment, encouraging discourse on current and future water concerns. The Jo Burgess award for Best Platform Presenter at this conference will be sent to represent South Africa at the 7 th Biennial IWA International Young Water Professionals Conference The Adrian Puigarnau award for Best Poster Presenter will be awarded attendance at the WISA Biennial Congress and Exhibition to be held from 25 th to 29 th May 2014 in Mbombela (Nelspruit), Mpumalanga. REGISTRATION FEES It is expected that the early bird registration fee will be R1 500 for YWP members and R2 000 for nonmembers. To become a YWP member, you need to be either an IWA or WISA member. Visit for more information on membership applications. With the assistance of sponsorship, two social events and a field outing will be included in the registration fee. Fees will be confirmed on the conference website and in the final conference announcement. RECRUITMENT AND EXHIBITION Organisations in the water field are invited to participate in the exhibition as a product / service exhibit and as a recruitment opportunity. Interested organisations are requested to contact the Secretariat for further information. FORM OF CONFERENCE The conference will include invited plenary and keynote presentations, parallel sessions of submitted papers on case studies and research, posters, innovative and fun social functions and a choice of half-day field outings to water facilities or projects of interest in the area. CONFERENCE TOPICS - topics include inter alia: Agricultural economics Anaerobic and sludge processes Community water supply and sanitation Environmental health Environmental sustainability Groundwater Health-related water microbiology Hydrology, water resources and their management Instrumentation and control Legislation and regulation Management, governance and institutional affairs Membrane technology Mine water and industrial wastewaters Nanotechnology New and emerging technologies

4 Nutrient management Oxidation and disinfection Plant commissioning and operation Social and anthropological aspects associated with water and waste water Sustainable knowledge transfer and knowledge management Transboundary water issues Wastewater reuse and recycling Water and climate change Water and development Water care and water science Water distribution and demand management Water for regional development Water-linked ecosystems Water-energy-food security nexus THE FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT The final announcement will be ed out in March 2013 to all who indicate their interest. It will also be posted onto the YWP website: The announcement will include all final details on the conference such as details of bus transport, the venue, registration fees, social functions and field trip details. There is a mailing list form on the website for those who are not submitting abstracts but wish to be notified of the final announcement. ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSPORT It is hoped that delegates will be able to book accommodation in the University residences at very favourable rates. Further details will be included in the final conference announcement. There is a possibility of bus transport to Stellenbosch from Johannesburg and Durban. Check the website and future announcements for details as they develop. Shuttle transport to and from the airport and accommodation in Stellenbosch will be organised. Most guest houses and hotels are within walking distance of the conference venue. CALL FOR PAPERS Abstracts for oral and poster presentations are invited. Prospective authors are requested to submit their details and a half-page abstract (in English only please) online at: before 1 st December Each abstract will be scored and selected by two independent reviewers who may request changes to the proposed content of papers before acceptance into the programme. Authors, whose papers are chosen for oral presentation, will be required to submit a full paper which will be reviewed for possible inclusion in IWA publications after the conference. It is expected that any feedback received from the review process be taken into account before the submission of final papers. Papers will be accepted on the understanding that the main author (or a co-author) will personally attend the conference as a fee-paying delegate and present the paper; and that the deadlines indicated below will be strictly adhered to. Deadline dates: 1 st December 2012 : Closing date for online submission of abstracts. 15 th February 2013 : Abstract decisions communicated. Authors of accepted presentations issued with guidelines and advised to start preparation of full papers. 1 st March 2013 : Electronic distribution of final conference announcement (containing provisional titles of accepted papers and names of authors). 30 th March 2013 : Submission of full papers which are then forwarded off to IWAP (International Water Association Publishing) for review.

5 Thereafter IWAP will liaise direct with the authors re the reviewing and revision procedure. 16 th July 2013 : Start of conference. CORRESPONDENCE AND ENQUIRIES Conference Secretariat (Cilla Taylor Conferences) Tel : +27 (0) Fax : +27 (0) confplan@iafrica.com WEBSITE: