On 02 November 2023, this GWD and Danida Alumni webinar, hosted by Dr Amy Allwright - the GWD Central Branch Chair 2022/2023 - Dr Nicolette Vermaak highlighted the importance of quantified monitoring systems and addressed the motivation, components and challenges that form part of a monitoring network's management process.

Monitoring is an important part of life, from the mundane to the explicit and intricate monitoring done in research, business and management. It includes the observations that it may be a colder winter than last year, or the fact that increasing age does not allow you quite the range of motion and activity that you used to do. It is carried out in a business setting, in finances, in hospitals and in water resources management. Very often these observations form part of our memories, which tends to become blurred with time. Keeping a record of the observations and measurements helps to provide a record that can be used for proper management decisions. The American statistician, William Edwards Deming (1900-1993), once said: “You cannot manage what you cannot measure”. This emphasizes the significance of quantification within a system before implementation of management and mitigation measures. So, if monitoring is so important, there should be a lot of monitoring taking place. Right? This is, unfortunately, not the case.

Dr Nicolette offered some clarity on number of questions regarding monitoring, which includes: Why do we monitor water resources? How do we monitor water resources? When to monitor? What to monitor? Who should do the monitoring? Where to do monitoring? How do you develop a monitoring network?
 

TALK RESOURCES

 GWD YOUTUBE RECORDING 

ATTENDEES

On this subject - what can benefit from further expansion?

^{(this information helps us to structure our follow-on sessions. Please feel free to email us at [email protected] with anything you wish to support/ add)} 

• Data monitoring interpretation

• More detailed, in depth case studies

• Minimum requirements for monitoring from DWS's perspective, from a practical aspect. Where can one download public available monitoring data?

• The incorporation of data analytic and artificial intelligence in monitoring for better prediction and decision making.

• Different groundwater sample techniques for specific analysis

• Statistical graphing of specific case studies will provide a better understanding of the critical need for monitoring

• An advanced understanding of Groundwater monitoring mechanics, and the ability to grow knowledge on the inner workings of data monitoring as a whole.

• I'm looking forward to your next talk on what you did with your data.

• Accessibility of monitoring data and availability of data collected through research studies.

• Expand on BH sample collection equipment (bailers, purge pumps, bladder pumps, peristaltic pumps etc.); 2) Stabilising water samples for transit to labs; 3) Review on water level recorders (or 'divers')

• How to design an effective monitoring network

• Implications re holding times, sampling of NAPLs, microbial etc

• The timing of monitoring, and accessing the monitoring data for research purposes.

• Enhancing the importance of monitoring our water resources

• Add some information on Underground Mine monitoring in the Mining

• Rehabilitation measures if there's negative impacts during monitoring

• How to involve the Department in terms of costing challenges

• Point source sampling and sampling on boreholes where geology logs are not available. The relationship between water quality and water levels

• Different equipment used to monitor

• Students

• Establish a centralized database or online platform where water quality data can be easily shared among relevant stakeholders

• Database and data quality processing talks.

• Since I did not know much about the topic, I benefitted a lot from this talk. If it is okay with the presenter, can we have access to the slides or maybe recording so we can always come back to this

• There should be a follow-up showing examples for demonstrating the use of the monitoring data

• Updated share of where monitoring data can be obtained/accessed.

• Consultants need to start coming forward in sharing the monitoring data and reports with DWS. And consultant should participate in the Provincial Water Monitoring Committee which are coordinated by DWS, external stakeholders are welcome to participate, share monitoring they are doing. Collaboration!

Thank you for your participation and feedback!
We will shortly release the date on the follow-up session. Hope to see you there.