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FRIEND-Water Regional groups

SEA FRIEND

Southern and Eastern Africa Group

About the SEA Group

The Southern & Eastern Africa (SEA) FRIEND-Water group brings together leading researchers, institutions, and early-career scientists to advance hydrological science and support sustainable water management across the region. The group contributes to UNESCO's International Hydrological Programme (IHP) and works closely with the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and other international partners.

Main Objectives

The SEA group’s overarching goals are to:

  1. Strengthen hydrological research collaboration within ARUA and beyond.
  2. Build research leadership by mentoring early-career researchers in grant writing and project management.
  3. Support global water agendas, aligning with UNESCO IHP-IX and WMO’s Hydrological Research Strategy, particularly by:
  • Advancing transdisciplinary water science.
  • Enhancing accessibility and integration of hydrological data.
  • Bridging the gap between science and practice in water management.

 

Key Research Questions

Southern African FRIEND:

  • How are water quality variables linked to sediment transport, and how should these be modeled?
  • What microbial water quality characteristics help predict diarrheal diseases in sub-Saharan Africa?
  • What local, hidden data can improve hydrological model validation, especially from farming communities?
  • How can AI and machine learning support real-time dashboards for actionable water insights?

Eastern African FRIEND:

  • How do land degradation and unsustainable practices impact long-term water availability?
  • How can real-time forecasting systems mitigate the effects of rainfall variability?
  • What role can participatory governance and adaptive management play in climate-resilient water management?
SCIENTIFICS ACTIVITIES CAPACITY BUILDING

Joint SEA-FRIEND Initiatives:

Special Issue in Ecology and Society: Exploring the science-practice interface in sustainability.

Africa-Europe CoRE (Cluster of Research Excellence) in Water Resource Management, combining African hydrological expertise with European strengths in data science and machine learning.
More info here

Southern African FRIEND:

Updating a South African water quality model to include sediment and microbial pollution, in collaboration with the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS).

Designing a self-sufficient water supply system for Rhodes University, integrating groundwater modelling and water treatment.

Developing new guidelines for using field, remote sensing, and global runoff data in hydrological modelling.

Eastern African FRIEND:

Assessing toxic elements like fluoride and arsenic in drinking water sources in volcanic areas and the Lake Victoria Basin.

Deploying digital tools for water and sanitation, including treatment technologies for fluoride and arsenic removal.

Building river system resilience through integrated flood management, with focus on erosion and sedimentation in urban areas.

  • Training: Courses and mentoring for PhD and Master's students across SEA.
  • Knowledge Sharing: Conferences, workshops, and upcoming contributions to the WaterNet/WARFSA Symposium 2025 in Lusaka.
  • Data & Technology: Efforts to make quality data accessible and to pilot innovative solutions in real-world contexts.

Regional coordinator

Southern and Eastern Africa

Dr. Jane TANNER - Senior Researcher at Rhodes University

Contact : j.tanner@ru.ac.za

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