Page 88 - Research & Innovation Report 2020

ENGINEERING, THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

Sustainable low-income

human settlements

New technologies for building methods, energy, water and sanitation systems are essential
for the establishment of sustainable low-income human settlements in South Africa.

“Based on the work we have done on sustainable low-income Department of Human Settlements and the Council for Scientific
settlements over the past five years, including our EcoSUN Green and Industrial Research are all part of this emerging CoP.
Village project at Kenton on Sea’s Ekuphumleni township in the
Eastern Cape, the Technology and Innovation Agency (TIA) asked “The CoP comprises a transdisciplinary team because you cannot
the University to partner them in leading a Community of Practice be discipline bound in research and innovation for sustainable
(CoP) on Science, Technology and Innovations for Sustainable human settlements,” says Prof Mbanga. There is a steady increase
Human Settlements,” says Professor Sijekula Mbanga, Department in the number of postgraduate students researching and publishing
of Buildings and Human Settlements, and Chair for Sustainable articles on this area of innovation.
Human Settlements in the Faculty of Engineering, the Built
Environment and Technology. “We know the challenges with electricity supply and there has
to be focus on a renewable energy hybrid system at household
The CoP started in 2020 with a view to the future establishment level to supplement the Eskom supply. Low-income settlements
of a Centre of Excellence in Human Settlement Innovations. completely rely on Free Basic Electricity; some municipalities give
It leverages partnerships and relationships with key local and 50 kWh free electricity and some give 100 kWh; and once this has
international institutions researching housing and human been used, many people are left in the dark.”
settlements sustainability, and with private innovators who are
designing prototypes for appropriate low-income settlements in Sanitation is yet another huge issue, as waterborne systems in
South Africa. The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), the urban areas are not sustainable, given the amount of water they

PV solar system at Ndlambe EcoSUN Green Village in Ekuphumleni Township, Kenton on Sea

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