Academic aims

Academic Aims and Outputs

As part of our efforts to encourage water conscious publics . . .

The project aims to collaboratively develop an online interactive map of water users, sources, and uses. Drawing on other similar global efforts, for example, see https://www.watermuseums.net/, this project will provide a repository for submitting water samples, but also we will accept virtual submissions (stories/images linked to local water sites) to begin to develop an understanding of local water users and their perceptions of their water sources. As there is no representation on the African continent within the global network of water museums, this initially project allows for submissions from the continent to contribute to this global discussion on water sources, and provide data to create a more complete analysis of landscape with regard to water sources.

The research aspect of this project aims to gather data and information on the water sources that Cape Town’s citizens make use of. By asking willing participants to submit water samples to our Water Museum, we are not only generating data on the quality of water that Capetonians can access (such analysis we hope to be able to conduct, funding permitting), but we are able to map how and why certain water sources are chosen by Cape Town’s citizenry. Beyond research, the impact of the project is to engage more widely with all water users in Cape Town to develop an understanding of local values and evaluations of water sources beyond the technical and commonly accepted opinions of ‘experts’. Drawing from the notion that people are experts in matters that pertain to their own lives and wellbeing, the impact of this work is to map and visually display water sources, while developing wider stakeholder engagement in the processes that determine how, when and which water sources are used.