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South Africa has one of the worlds most advanced environmental legal frameworks entrenched with the environmental right to “ecologically sustainable development”. Numerous tools, including environmental impact assessment (EIA), are made available within the legal framework as listed in the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA)… (more)
While activity appears slow or subdued, market players are preparing for some significant changes in the technological and contractual landscape of high voltage transformers in South Africa. The high voltage transformer market is soon to see the return of ABB as a key player in 2013, while the major current tender holders include Powertech, Siemens, Contipower, and Zest WEG. The dominance of existing suppliers is likely to be challenged at the forthcoming tender adjudication in 2015… (more)
2011 saw a growth in demand for the rental power industry due to the expansion of projects in sectors like construction, oil and gas, manufacturing, mining and utilities. Many private power companies that were badly hit during the recession are still struggling to fund their permanent power plants, thus increasing the demand for rental solutions to fill in the gaps. Our response to the demand has been to follow a strategic growth plan, which saw Aggreko own or acquire 16 new locations in 2011… (more)
The Wind Atlas for South Africa project is an initiative of the South African Government, Department of Minerals and Energy (now DoE), and the project is co-funded by the UNDP-GEF through the South African Wind Energy Programme (SAWEP), and the Royal Danish Embassy. South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI) is the Executing Partner, coordinating and contracting contributions from the implementing partners: CSIR, UCT, SAWS, and DTU Wind Energy… (more)
Studies have shown that if all of humanity aspired to first world living standards, we would need three planets like Earth to sustain us. Addressing a media conference, CESA president Naren Bhojaram said our ever-increasing aspiration towards first world lifestyles has resulted in the human race’s abuse and destruction of resources… (more)
Since 2005 when looming power shortages were predicted, IPPs have been assessing opportunities in RSA simply because the market potential presented itself: Eskom was late placing orders for new build and economic growth projections suggested that we would need new power before Eskom could put it into the system… (more)
This article examines how GIS and remote sensing can be used from an environmental criminological perspective to better understand the spread of rhino poaching incidents in South Africa. Another Africa sunrise over the bushveld, the early sunrays reveal the dehorned carcass of a heavily pregnant rhino cow. Sadly, scenes like these are happening with increasing frequency and statistics reveal a staggering growth in rhino killings in South Africa since 2008… (more)
by Chris Yelland, EE Publishers
On 23 August 2011, EE Publishers hosted an open panel discussion and debate in Midrand, entitled “Renewable Energy in South Africa – going backwards or forwards?” At the debate, key players in the renewable energy (RE) sector of South Africa covered the background on where the country finds itself now, as well as the road ahead in the implementation of the ambitious renewable energy targets detailed in the national integrated resource plan for electricity, IRP 2010 – 2030. This will involve the installation of some 9200 MW of wind generation capacity, 8400 MW of solar photo-voltaic (PV) capacity, and 1200 MW of concentrating solar plant (CSP) capacity by 2030… (more)
On 30 May 2011 the Draft Geomatics Profession Bill was published in the Government Gazette and twenty-one days were provided for comments to be sent in. GISSA’s members were asked to study the bill and to provide feedback. These comments were then compiled into a document and sent through as GISSA’s response to the published bill. Many other interest groups also gave their comments, indicating that this is very serious issue for the GIS community… (more)
In South Africa, spatial address data has been collected by different public and private organisations, with little or no cooperation on data sharing. Although there is weighty evidence about the benefits of spatial data sharing, organisations are still experiencing problems in making it happen, hence the costly duplication of efforts in data collection and storage still persists… (more)
SANSA, the South African National Space Agency, which came into operation on 1 April 2011, generates and delivers a 2,5 m SPOT 5 national mosaic to government once every year. This mosaic forms the backdrop to many of the national GIS related datasets. The success of this annual undertaking relies heavily on the data acquisition agreement between SANSA and the French Spot Image company – an agreement that comes at a considerable monetary cost to SANSA… (more)
In the first part of this series of articles the reader was introduced to lidar-based aerial surveys (LBAS) as a surveying technique, and the basic technologies and workflow of LBAS were outlined. In this article we will look at typical LBAS deliverables and applications. We will also consider the specifications of an aerial survey that a client needs to understand prior to commissioning surveys… (more)
The SA Army Engineer Formation held a GIS Conference at Tec Base Thaba Tshwane on 18 April 2011. Brigadier General L.C. Nobanda welcomed the delegates to the event saying that GIS is critical to military operations and Brigadier General PW Thirion from the Directorate for Geospatial Information (DGI) gave a strategic overview of how GIS is being used by this department… (more)
High definition scanning whether terrestrial, mobile or airborne has a wide application field in the survey industry. To simply ignore this fact and think that it is not going to affect the industry is a serious mistake. The survey firms that have started to implement this technology are already reaping the benefits… (more)
Humans have settled in villages and cities for at least fifteen millennia but they have had to face five frequently repeated challenges for survival. Sometimes seen as a variation of the four horses of the Apocalypse, the ravages brought about by either constricting climatic change, rampant diseases, unexpected migrations (wars) or competition for resources are often compounded by a selfish, corrupt government… (more)
by Mark Botha and Chris Yelland, EE Publishers
The debate around hydraulic fracturing in the Karoo is an issue of national and public interest. Shale gas extraction has the potential, some say, to change the face of the country’s power industry and improve the lives of millions of South Africans. Public opinion, however, is a powerful force well-known to have hampered the nuclear industry in the past… (more)
SumbandilaSat is living up to its Venda name as it “leads the way” in providing South African entities with valuable satellite imagery at no cost, despite earlier technical setbacks. During August and September 2010 SumbandilaSat acquired five high resolution images of the south-western part of the Kruger National Park and neighbouring Bushbuckridge where the CSIR and SANParks Scientific Services are conducting various research projects… (more)
The delivery and management of regular free and fair elections is vital, and an effective geographic information system (GIS) is a crucial spoke in the election wheel. AfriGIS has worked with the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) since 1998 and is currently assisting the IEC to power successful municipal elections in May 2011… (more)
Institutionalising a Geospatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) was a major watershed for research data management at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). For the first time in the CSIR’s history, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) department took over the management and maintenance of research-related software and data. For the first time, geospatial data was related to publication outputs. Heidi van Deventer shares the experiences, lessons learnt and the remaining challenges… (more)
A radio telescope, such as the SKA, is an extremely sensitive radio receiver in order to detect the extremely faint radio signals that have traversed the universe for billions of years. This means that any terrestrial source of radio frequency interference has the potential to destroy radio astronomy observations.The introduction of new mining and exploration activity by Shell would not be able to comply with the protection requirements of radio astronomy without very careful and detailed analysis. And even after this analysis, the chances don’t look good for compliance. My advice? Just stay away from the SKA… (more)
Surveyors and GIS professionals are often heard asking the question: “Does my work enjoy copyright protection, and if so, do I own the copyright?” Copyright has important implications for these professional persons. It determines whether the work that is produced by such persons enjoys protection; it determines who owns such copyright; and it determines whether and how such rights can be enforced against a person who copies such work without the necessary consent… (more)
Mine nationalisation has emerged as one of the major threats to the future and sustainability of the South African minerals sector. Because mineral resources are depletable, we have only one opportunity to make the most of each mineral resource. The industry is also particularly risky, which requires governments to understand the need for stability of terms and security of tenure… (more)
by Chris Yelland, managing director, EE Publishers
Within a few weeks, Judge Kgomo of the South Gauteng High Court will rule on whether Eskom must hand over certain documents requested by Media 24 in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act that would reveal details of secret pricing deals with BHP Billiton that have long been held to be confidential. However the matter may not end here, but could be heading for the Constitutional Court… (more)
by Chris Yelland, managing director, EE Publishers
Phindile Nzimande, former CEO of EDI Holdings (Pty) Ltd, has been appointed CEO of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) with effect from 1 May 2011. This follows a decision by the cabinet announced in December 2010 to disband EDI Holdings by 1 April 2011… (more)
The Council for Geoscience held a workshop in Pretoria on 15 February 2011 to discuss the South African Geological Hazard Observation System. The system intends to stimulate the creation of decision support or risk management systems aimed at assessing the impacts of geological hazards and informing policymakers in terms of prevention, mitigation and adaptation. The project is funded by the Department of Science and Technology and is expected to be complete by late 2013… (more)
The South African Orienteering Federation (SAOF) held a teachers training course in orienteering at Fourways High School in Johannesburg on 29 January 2011. Teachers working with life orientation, geography and/or sports programmes, or whose schools are participating or intend participating in the Gauteng Orienteering School League were invited to attend. This was the first time that the SAOF had held the course and the response was positive with 55 teachers attending on the day… (more)
One of the key success factors identified for a viable and sustainable space science programme is human capital. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has partnered with the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE), through the National Research Foundation (NRF), to ensure that the necessary skills and expertise are developed in order to lend support and drive activities within the local space landscape… (more)
Trimble’s local supplier, Optron Geomatics, have always prided themselves on their pragmatism and ability to cross-pollinate ideas and disciplines to benefit new areas of science. It’s not surprising therefore to find Trimble equipment playing a vital role on one of the most important new archaeological sites currently under exploration – Klipdrift cave in the De Hoop conservation area in the Western Cape… (more)
Hyperspectral imaging technology is increasingly being used in the mining, infrastructure and environmental sectors. This article provides some background on the technology and its many applications… (more)
Reliable and quality service delivery makes geographic information systems (GIS) essential for municipal management with regards to the large geographical spread of the visible and non-visible infrastructure. Currently at the municipalities GIS deployment varies from one GIS work station environment, to intranet distribution of GIS information, up to a fully integrated information environment where GIS is integrated with other management information systems… (more)
The decline in construction activity that commenced in 2009 continued well into 2010. In order to diversify, an increasing number of South African consulting engineers are aiming their sights towards the north of our continent. However, with increased competition from international consultants and the strengthening of the Rand, competition in Africa is fierce… (more)
The South African system of land surveying is reputed to be equal to the best in the world. The effectiveness of our cadastre and land administration in the past has however mainly been measured in the context of its ability to manage a small percentage of land parcels in South Africa as it excluded the many millions of dwellings in former homelands… (more)
by Mike Rycroft, Mark Botha and Chris Yelland, EE Publishers
It is well known that the price of electricity in South Africa has been too low for years. The generation capacity crisis in 2008 prompted a review of Eskom’s build programme and associated funding plan. The original expectation was that there would be a short-duration adjustment to bring prices to the correct level, and thereafter electricity prices increases would follow inflation. But the adjustment did not develop in line with expectations, and price increases much higher than inflation are expected for many years to come… (more)
At the 2010 annual project day of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Pretoria (UP), the “FoxHat” team which developed a module for automating orthorectification in the open source package, Quantum GIS (QGIS), walked away with the prize for the best project… (more)
Many companies are aware of the fact that complying with occupational health and safety legislation comes at a cost, but most of them are in the dark as to the actual financial implications… (more)
Since the early 1960s laser has often been referred to as “a solution looking for a problem” to solve. Today this still rings true, as lidar-based aerial survey (LBAS) technology continues to provide an increasing number of solutions to survey needs, especially in large-scale projects or in areas that are difficult to access for conventional surveys… (more)
As with all other disciplines, conservation agencies are increasingly being asked to provide accurate and objective guidance using spatial planning. Systematic conservation planning software offers a means of incorporating into the spatial planning realm the environmental perspective in a manner that is both scientifically justified and easily understood… (more)
Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) projects are showing that it is possible to assist rural communities on the road to independent growth by providing essential planning services enabled by spatial analysis.To better explain how GIS is used to ensure responsible spatial planning I will use one of our implementation sites which received national publicity. The area of Riemvasmaak in the Northern Cape is situated… (more)
It gives me great pleasure to launch the National Space Strategy and the South African National Space Agency. The space industry is now big business. It is not simply a matter of space travel, although the possibilities of space travel have excited and fascinated many of us – Mark Shuttleworth was the first African in space in 2002, barely a decade ago. No, it’s also about an industry that has enormous potential future growth… (more)
A tariff should be an open contract between a service provider (the surveyor) and the public, filed with a regulating body (PLATO/SAGI). The conditions of providing a service to the public including rates, fees and charges. At a minimum, tariffs imposed must cover the cost of providing the service, maintaining this service at an optimum quality that is acceptable to the customer, additional research and other indirect costs… (more)
Appreciation for the contribution of space exploration to resolving major societal challenges is growing. Countries worldwide are becoming increasingly reliant on space-based applications. Many now realise the importance of coordinating space capabilities and efforts are afoot to better manage space activities and strengthen the technology base of the space industry globally to increase economic prosperity… (more)
by Chris Yelland, managing director, EE Publishers
In recent months and at various venues Eskom has been lobbying and punting the view that a new dispensation and enabling environment is required for the utility to secure the cheap and abundant supplies of coal needed for its current and future fleet of coal-fired power stations. When pressed for details, Eskom officials become a little coy. But stripping aside the euphemisms, what Eskom is saying is that, in the light of higher global demand and world market prices for even the low-grade coal used in Eskom power stations, the utility is having difficulty matching these prices and contracting on a voluntary basis with the coal miners to secure its medium and long-term coal supplies… (more)
by Chris Yelland, managing director, EE Publishers
Chris Yelland speaking on Radio 702 on Friday 7 January 2011 with Stephen Grootes, discussing Eskom and the state of the electricity power system in South Africa.
The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) is responsible for planning, designing, constructing, operating, rehabilitating and maintaining South Africa’s national roads. This article outlines the technologies involved in monitoring the condition of over 16 000 km of South Africa’s national roads… (more)
The CSIR undertook research to explain and illustrate the spatial behaviour of the “trio” crimes (carjacking and truck hijacking; robbery at residential premises; and robbery at non-residential premises). The research is based on spatial analysis at specific geographical interval levels. It uses a combination of remote sensing technology integrated with geographical information systems (GIS) analytical models that are overlaid with geo-coded crime data to provide a spatial technological basis for analysis… (more)
Aerial photographs have long been used to survey stone walled ruins in South Africa. Google Earth, which was launched in 2005 has grown in popularity among archaeologists. To compare the relative efficacy of Google Earth with standard aerial photographs we recorded pre-colonial stone walled settlements in a part of the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve (Gauteng) using different types of imagery and statistically compared the results with ground surveys… (more)
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