From July 28th to August 8th, 2025, the National Centre for Groundwater Training and Research at the University of Zimbabwe served as a vibrant hub for the SADC-GMI 1st Young Professionals Winter School. This intensive two-week program was carefully designed to equip young professionals from across the SADC region with a diverse range of skills essential for the sustainable management of our invaluable groundwater resources. A total of 30 young professionals participated in the Winter School, representing 8 SADC member states: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Of the participants, 16 were female and 14 were male.

A Collaborative and Comprehensive Curriculum

Organized through a powerful collaboration among the SADC Groundwater Management Institute, the University of Zimbabwe, and UNESCO, the Winter School featured a dynamic and diverse program. It comprehensively addressed various facets of sustainable groundwater management, guided by esteemed key experts in the field drawn from the region. The curriculum delved into critical areas, including:

• Building Technical and Policy Leadership in Groundwater Governance
• Inclusive Groundwater Management Through Environmental Social Governance
• Fundamentals of Groundwater Modelling, Groundwater Simulation using WASIM & Borehole and Groundwater Level Data Analysis
• Transboundary Groundwater Management and Groundwater Infrastructure Development
• Hydrogeological Frameworks of Southern Africa, Occurrence of Groundwater, Regime and Dynamics
• Groundwater Assessment and Exploration
• Hydrogeological Mapping and Instrumentation for Water Resources Management
• Best Practices in Borehole Drilling
• Funding Proposals for Groundwater Projects
• Groundwater Monitoring Sampling, Analysis, and Quality Assurance: Field and Laboratory Techniques
• Environmental Isotopes – Sampling to Laboratory Analysis

Enriching Practical Experience: A Field Trip to the Upper Manyame Sub-catchment

The training seamlessly blended theoretical knowledge with practical application, featuring numerous exercises that allowed young professionals to gauge and solidify their understanding of the complex training content. To significantly enhance the practical experience of our participants, a crucial field visit was organized within the Upper Manyame Sub-catchment. This insightful trip commenced at the Upper Manyame Sub-catchment Council’s monitoring borehole site, followed by a visit to the Vainona School Monitoring borehole site. During the visit, a comprehensive background and overview of the Greater Harare Groundwater monitoring network were provided. Young professionals received hands-on demonstrations covering essential aspects such as:

• Monitoring data logger setup
• Efficient data capture and telemetry techniques
• Best practices for water quality sampling and testing

Furthermore, a key focus of the training involved practical instruction on conducting thorough borehole diagnostics. This included detailed demonstrations of borehole camera deployment and comprehensive borehole inspection procedures, equipping our young professionals with vital skills for real-world application.

Innovation at Its Core: The Winter School Challenge

The triumphant team showcased an ingenious and groundbreaking solution that is set to revolutionize groundwater monitoring throughout the SADC region!

A highlight of the final week of the program, and a fitting conclusion to the two weeks, was an innovative challenge. Young professionals were divided into groups and tasked with identifying a pertinent groundwater-related issue and subsequently proposing an innovative, actionable solution. This exercise showcased the remarkable ingenuity of the participants, who brought diverse perspectives from their respective countries and their unique groundwater challenges. While all the groups presented impressive and innovative solutions, one team stood out and clinched the top prize. They developed the “SADC-Hydro Twin Groundwater Data Sharing Platform,” which aims to transform groundwater monitoring across the SADC region for sustainable groundwater management.

According to these talented individuals, the platform will be implemented at strategic wells across various countries to measure water levels, abstraction rates, and key quality parameters, all of which will be communicated via a regional cloud software. It will also feature a live GIS-based model of SADC’s major aquifers and will integrate real-time IoT data, historical datasets, and hydrological models. Among all the innovative solutions presented by different teams, this one emerged as the best. This solution will help harmonize fragmented groundwater data that is currently stored in isolated national databases and rarely shared in real-time.

Congratulations to Laimi Iyambo (Namibia), Thandeka Ngobe (Eswatini), Zusipe Godongwana (South Africa), Anesu Gonye (Zimbabwe), and Tinashe Wagoneka (Zimbabwe) for their groundbreaking idea that is set to enhance groundwater monitoring across the SADC region.

This group of five outstanding young professionals was awarded full sponsorship to attend the upcoming 7th SADC Groundwater Conference, scheduled for November 19th to 21st, 2025, in Johannesburg, South Africa. This incredible opportunity will allow them to present their challenge and solution to a broader audience at the conference and engage with experts to refine their concept further, propelling their ideas forward.

With such determined and passionate young professionals, surely the future of sustainable groundwater resources looks promising!

A Heartfelt Thank You

The success of the Winter School would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions of our key experts: Dr. Kevin Pietersen, Ms. Anna David, Ms. Batanayi Gwangwawa, Dr Muchaneta Munamati, Prof. Maideyi Lydia Mabvira-Meck, Prof. Thokozani Kanyerere, Dr Webster Gumindoga, and Eng. James Sauramba. Your impeccable lectures and dedication were truly inspiring.

And to our young professionals: your enthusiasm, commitment, and active participation throughout the Winter School were unparalleled. We extend our deepest gratitude for making this inaugural program such a resounding success. The future of groundwater management in the SADC Region looks brighter than ever with talent like yours leading the way.

At the end of the two-week program, participants were awarded certificates of attendance

We are excited to confirm that the second edition of the SADC-GMI Young Professionals Winter School is on the horizon. Official announcements and detailed information will be shared in early 2026 on all our communication platforms.” The End!