JOHANNESBURG - The fourth Water Research Commission (WRC) symposium on Wednesday at the Sandton Convention Centre, has looked at sustainable ways to save and use the precious liquid.
The symposium is a three-day biennial conference that is set to engage on water and sanitation challenges for the African continent.
Various stakeholders attending will showcase their ideas to focus on innovation as a catalyst for achieving a water secure future.
Tebogo Ntswane of Envirosan Sanitation Solutions started working with the WRC in 2015.
The company which he works for invented a "low flush toilet" which was only initially manufactured in Asia but has since entered the South African market.
"After we teamed up with WRC, we were able to bring the invention into the country. The best part about it is that it only uses two litres of water to flush while your average toilet uses nine litres per flush."
He said it was a safer option especially in rural areas as opposed to a pit toilet.
Dhesigen Naidoo CEO of the WRC says the initiative is crucial because water is linked to every facet of our lives.
"Providing water of sufficient quantity and quality in a sustainable manner to all sectors of society is a global conundrum. Water scarcity is one of the great human challenges in the 21st century.
"Global phenomena such as population growth, population and climate change are an increasing threat to the sustainability of the world's water resources."
Key note speakers over the two remaining days will include Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Lindiwe Sisulu, her deputy, David Mahlobo, senior programme officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Doulaye Kone, and chairperson of the CSIR Thokozani Majozi.
- African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Naomi Mackay