Latest news with #waterloss
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The land under South Africa is rising every year. We finally know why.
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Drought and water loss caused South Africa to rise an average of 6 millimeters (0.2 inches) between 2012 and 2020, according to a new study. Scientists have developed a new model to measure this land uplift and associated water loss using global positioning system (GPS) data. In South Africa, they found that uplift patterns correlated with droughts and with seasonal shifts between dry and wet seasons. The GPS-based model could help researchers spot signs of drought in the future, the researchers suggest. Scientists have known for more than a decade that South Africa is rising. Initially, some suspected the uplift was caused by a plume of hot rock in the mantle, Earth's middle layer, that sits beneath the country. A mantle plume forms when hot material from deep in the mantle rises and pushes against the lithosphere (the crust and upper mantle), lifting the land above it. But Makan Karegar, a geodesist at the University of Bonn in Germany, noticed that data showing uplift in South Africa correlated with periods of drought. In particular, Karegar and his colleagues spotted a pattern of uplift that corresponded to the intense "Day Zero" drought South Africa faced between 2015 and 2018, when the city of Cape Town was at risk of needing to shut off the municipal water supply. "We started to think there should be a link between this pattern and water loss," Karegar told Live Science. To investigate this relationship further, the team collected GPS data from permanent stations scattered throughout South Africa. These stations can precisely measure changes in height over time, down to fractions of a millimeter per year. In the new study, published April 9 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, the scientists developed a model linking this uplift to changes in the country's water storage. Related: Africa is being torn apart by a 'superplume' of hot rock from deep within Earth, study suggests As water disappeared from surface reservoirs, soil, and groundwater reserves, the land rose, like memory foam does after a weight is removed. The researchers observed some regional and seasonal variations in height, as well as some long-term variability. But overall, between 2012 and 2020, South Africa rose an average of 6 mm in response to water loss, the team found. Some areas near depleted water reservoirs rose as much as 0.4 inches (10 mm) during the drought. "The biggest surprise for us was that we saw an uplift over most parts of South Africa," study coauthor Christian Mielke, a geodesist at the University of Bonn, told Live Science. "We were expecting that this would probably just affect regions close to cities," near where reservoirs are concentrated. Next, the team validated their model by comparing changes in land heights across South Africa to existing models of water storage and loss. They found that the GPS-based results agreed well with predictions of water loss based on satellite measurements and climate data. While the new study doesn't rule out potential contributions from the mantle plume beneath South Africa, the strong correlations with existing models of water storage suggest that water loss is the main driving force behind the uplift. This suggests that the uplift might not be permanent. With enough precipitation and water returning to reservoirs, the land could start to sink again, Karegar said. RELATED STORIES —Earth from space: Golden river of toxic waste spills out from deadly mining disaster in South Africa —Africa is being torn apart by a 'superplume' of hot rock from deep within Earth, study suggests —Severe drought helped bring about 'barbarian' invasion of Roman Britain, study finds But teasing out how long it might take for South Africa to rise or sink again will likely require more data, said Bill Hammond, a geodesist at the University of Nevada Reno who was not involved in the study. "We often don't know how long our current measurements are applicable for," he told Live Science. With just 30 years of GPS data from which to draw trends, many of which South Africa spent in drought conditions, it could be difficult to determine exactly how much of the uplift is due to drought versus the mantle plume, or how long it might take for the land to subside again after the drought's end, he added. In the meantime, using GPS measurements as a tool for monitoring drought conditions "is a major emerging approach," Karegar said. While South Africa's existing GPS stations are fairly spread out, stations in other parts of the world are spaced much more closely. Where these networks are established, they could help with water management, Karegar said.
Zawya
21-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Oman fights water system losses with tech, data, and EU expertise
MUSCAT: Tackling rising water scarcity and costly system inefficiencies, Oman is ramping up efforts to cut water losses by turning to data-driven innovations, decentralised wastewater solutions, and lessons learned from European best practices. This was the key focus of a high-level discussion during the 'EU-Oman Energy & Water Collaboration Forum,' where experts shed light on practical solutions for managing non-revenue water and modernising national water infrastructure. The session, titled "Tackling Water Losses & Improving Efficiency – The Role of Technology & Economic Solutions", explored Oman's roadmap to reducing technical losses and enhancing water reuse. FROM CLASSIC METRES TO SMART WATER NETWORKS Khalil Sulaiman Salim al Adawi, Technical Losses Engineer for Operation and Maintenance at Nama Water Services, highlighted the utility's strategic pivot from traditional water metering to smart, data-integrated systems. 'We are now using classical water metres equipped with liquidation systems, but the future lies in building integrated layers of digital tools that allow for daily data collection and predictive maintenance,' he said. Al Adawi outlined Nama Water's four-stage roadmap, launched in 2021, to address water losses. The first phase, already completed, involved mapping losses across the network using analytics and GIS to pinpoint high-loss areas. In the second phase, over 600 pressure-reducing devices (PRDs) were installed nationwide over three years, significantly cutting leakage and pipeline stress. Current efforts include expanding pressure management and building capacity across 30 leakage detection teams. THE DECENTRALISED ADVANTAGE Angelo de Mul, CEO of Dutch firm PureBlue Water, advocated for decentralised wastewater treatment as a more energy-efficient and scalable alternative to conventional sewer networks. 'Decentralised systems allow you to reuse water at the source, for irrigation or even within communities, reducing reliance on costly centralised infrastructure. It's cost-effective and sustainable,' he said. He pointed to successful applications in the Netherlands and other European countries, where compact, decentralised treatment plants operate seamlessly within built environments. 'People often don't even know there's a wastewater plant right beside them — that's the level of integration and reliability we aim for,' he added. De Mul also stressed the importance of standardising water treatment systems and connecting them to data management platforms. 'Innovation is sharper and more effective when combined with reliable data. In the Netherlands, we've developed standardised machines with low carbon footprints to remove toxic substances and recycle water safely for agriculture and even human use,' he noted. VEOLIA BACKS INTEGRATED, RESILIENT SOLUTION Nicolas Le Goff, Chief Operating Officer of Veolia Oman, called for a systemic view of water management. 'The challenge in Oman is not only about reducing leaks, but also about managing wastewater reuse and ensuring energy efficiency throughout the cycle,' he said. 'We believe smart grids, AI-driven asset management, and cross-sector collaboration are essential to solving water losses while delivering sustainable services.' Veolia, a global leader in water and environmental services, has long advocated for circular water strategies, particularly in arid regions like Oman. Le Goff added that Oman's geography makes it a prime candidate for testing scalable solutions in decentralised reuse and smart grid applications. EU LESSONS AND THE WAY FORWARD The panelists agreed that Oman can draw valuable insights from Europe's water management evolution — from data-based planning in the Netherlands to the integration of decentralised systems in remote and urban zones. As Oman plans long-term infrastructure investments, balancing centralised legacy assets with modular, scalable alternatives will be key. Moderator Said al Kamyani, a sustainability expert, concluded that a hybrid model combining smart technology, decentralised reuse, and public-private coordination could be Oman's path to achieving national water security goals. The forum was part of the EU-Oman Energy & Water Collaboration Forum, held at Crowne Plaza OCEC on May 20–21, 2025. It was sponsored by Nama Group and the EU-GCC Cooperation on Green Transition Project. 2022 © All right reserved for Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
