The professional body for municipal infrastructure engineering, the Institute for Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA), has stressed the imperative to establish effective measures to avert the negative effects of flooding and decaying stormwater systems in the country.

The initiatives that IMESA has been involved in include the Best Practice Guideline for Design Flood Estimation in Municipal Areas document, and the commissioning of a Guideline for Best Practices in Dealing with Engineering Infrastructure Services During and After Disasters, says IMESA president Geoff Tooley.

“This will be based on learnings of the municipal engineers in dealing with the damage caused by the storm events that have occurred over the last ten years in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and the Eastern and Western Cape provinces.”

He adds that the information can also be used to design resilient infrastructure, including sewers, wastewater treatment works, electricity substations and community support buildings, such as clinics, hospitals and schools.

Tooley notes that municipal areas also benefit from the flood lines of various areas being known, as this can inform town planning and development, and can assist in identifying high-risk areas.

“It is critical that decision-makers, namely municipal councillors, are aware of the consequences of their decisions when they approve developments that are exposed to unacceptable flood risks. In this regard, IMESA, with the cooperation of the Water Research Commission, embarked on an awareness campaign among municipal councillors.”

IMESA says that one of the most important immediate steps needed to combat the negative impacts of future floods is the rollout of municipal forecast early warning systems linked to community-based early warning systems. This will help mitigate harm to human life, as well as protect municipal infrastructure.

He also cites the need to safeguard and repair infrastructure, adding that municipal infrastructure repair or protection projects will vary, as every municipality has its unique infrastructure requirements and available budget.

IMESA will continue to empower municipal engineers by creating a platform for showcasing their impactful work while “expanding the knowledge and best practices in all local government municipalities”.

Many IMESA members are contributing to municipal infrastructure engineering projects and will contribute to government’s Operation Vulindlela, which calls for the revitalisation of municipal infrastructure.

Further, many municipal engineering staff and consultancy employees are involved in municipal infrastructure development in an effective, cost-efficient manner across the country, and “we all need to recognise these pockets of excellence and the people behind them”, Tooley avers.

“In the world where complaining is easy, and often the go-to response, we can create a positive change in the societal mindset as constituents see what is possible through professional conduct and hard work, while still exposing those areas where apathy and corruption have crept in,” he concludes.