Civil Engineering May 2022 | Vol 30 No 4

Civil Engineering May 2022 1 W hile the human suffering and infrastruc- ture destruction resulting from the war in the Ukraine continues, South Africa has been forced to turn its attention to the disaster that has unfolded locally. At the time of writing, 448 inhabit- ants are confirmed to have succumbed to the floods in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and parts of the Eastern Cape (EC), over 50 of them children. Many survivors have been left with nothing, as around 4 000 homes have been destroyed and over 40 000 inhabitants displaced. Having lived through the worst flood in 35 years, and left without water, food, electricity or shelter, desperation is setting in for many who do not know how to move forward. While efforts on the ground focus on much-needed hu- manitarian aid, the civil engineering community needs to start assessing the infrastructure damage, identify what the needs are, and prioritise rehabilitation efforts. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the most basic human needs are nutrition, air, and temperature regulation. The latter is provided through shelter and clothing. The second layer of needs described by Maslow is safety and security, followed by social needs (access to friends, family, and community). Although not everybody supports Maslow’s theory, during the floods in KZN and parts of the EC, it became clear that clean water (and sanitation), food and shelter are undoubtedly the most basic human needs. ADDRESSING THE DAMAGE Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo told Cape Talk (on 20 April 2022) that, “A war room has been established as part of the National Department of Water and Sanitation’s action plan to assist areas affected by the recent floods in KZN and the EC.” Experts within SAICE expect that water supply will be restored by the time you read this article. Access to food, as well as the Durban harbour will require that roads be restored. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula estimates the cost of the damage to KZN’s roads to be over R5.6 billion. Detailed geotechnical and structural infrastructure assessments are required. As the mudslides in the area are not the first, and slope stability issues are known, SAICE hopes that future planning in KZN and the EC will be more mindful of the risks (also see How geology put a South African city at risk of landslides (amppro- ject.org) ) . Furthermore, a prioritisation of rehabilitation efforts is needed. How do we identify who gets access first? Damage to structures, schools, hospitals and homes are next on the list. In the popular media, there are already warnings that the processing of insurance claims may be delayed. Times Live reported that, “Insurance companies are sending out assessors to establish the damages and costs involved, but due to the fact that there are only a few assessors in South Africa, and though the insurers are bringing them in from other provinces, the assessment process is going to be a lengthy one.” COULD DISASTER HAVE BEEN AVOIDED? The question arises as to whether the damage could have been avoided or reduced, as suggested by many residents on social media. IOL reports Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesperson in KZN, Nonala Ndlovu, as stating that although there may be issues related to the drainage system because of the litter culture in communities, the amount of water faced was massive. It is true that some effected areas experienced more than 300 mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period – an amount that normally occurs in a four-month period. However, litter, natural debris and poor stormwater management also contributed to the situation. The 2017 SAICE Infrastructure Report Card (IRC) reports that, “poor drainage can be caused by poor (or no) stormwater system maintenance, or increases in surface runoff, due to under-design.” In his article posted on The Conversation , Dr Charles MacRobert, Senior Lecturer of Geotechnical Engineering at Stellenbosch University, notes, “Landslides in the eThekwini re- gion should come as no surprise. We know which areas are at risk and why. Zoning and early warning systems would seem to be logical measures to take.” I concur and would like to add that soil monitoring systems need to be added to the mix, not only in KZN and the EC, but around the country. While emergency repairs and humanitarian aid are underway, we owe it to our inhabitants to do better and learn from our mistakes. Given the mammoth task at hand, SAICE is supporting the call for volunteers. eThekwini Municipality has issued a call for resources for the following areas of work: inventory of damage; prioritisation of response; technical work specification and en- gineering designs; project implementation of engineering works; and project and contract management. A further request was made for any equipment that can be made available (TLBs, tipper trucks, loaders, excavators), as well as social relief items such as food hampers, water, clothing, mattresses, and hygiene packs. If you would like to assist with any of the above, please contact Zakhi Mkhize on zakhi.mkhize@durban.gov.za , 031 311 7845 or 072 590 7957. Prof. Marianne Vanderschuren SAICE President 2022 marianne.vanderschuren@uct.ac.za From the Pres ident ’ s desk Was the KZN disaster avoidable?