For Water For Life

JoJo
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For Water For Life

The podcast about water that might just change your life. For Water For Life tells the extraordinary stories of 12 ordinary women and men who have made it their life's work to protect, preserve and replenish the water supply in their unequal and water-scarce country, South Africa. From indigenous knowledge to cutting edge science, each episode reveals the challenges and insights of these geologists, healers, innovators, farmers, organisers and activists. Disclaimer: This podcast series is brought to you by JoJo in the interests of conversations around water. The opinions and comments made in the episodes do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints and opinions of JoJo, and we have made every attempt to ensure the reliability of information provided. Products or technologies mentioned will not be brought to market by JoJo.

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  1. A sacred wetland in the city

    EPISODE 13

    A sacred wetland in the city

    As the Biodiversity Project Manager of the Princess Vlei Forum, Denisha Anand is passionate about working to rehabilitate and conserve Princess Vlei, a wetland in the Cape Flats. This wetland is a vital part of the community, not just for the fundamental role it plays in the hydrological system, but due to the important spiritual and cultural heritage it holds. Denisha shares stories of an ancient Khoi princess, myth and lore associated with the vlei, and how a community fought to protect it from development.

    20 min
  2. Defending the pale blue dot

    EPISODE 14

    Defending the pale blue dot

    Lewis Pugh is the United Nations Patron of the Oceans. As an endurance swimmer, he has completed a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world and has pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other person in history. But these extreme swims aren’t simply athletic feats, each time he submerges himself into the freezing cold water, he highlights the melting of the Arctic sea ice and the impact the reduced water supply and climate change will have on world peace. Also defending our planet, 10-year-old eco-warrior and eco-artist Romario Valentine has organised 180 beach clean-ups, planted 455 trees and helped 900 endangered birds. This dedicated work recently saw him named a ​​2021 International Young Eco-Hero. Romario is particularly passionate about orcas, turtles, the Knysna turaco, and ensuring that children don’t go hungry.

    22 min
  3. Water doesn’t come from a tap

    EPISODE 15

    Water doesn’t come from a tap

    Eunice Ubomba-Jaswa and Yazeed van Wyk are researchers with the Water Research Commission, a South African state entity that wants to find innovative water solutions through research and development, and to shape policy. Yazeed and Eunice are experts on all things water. From the hydrological cycle to the complex process of how water finds its way from the rivers, into our cities’ municipal systems, into our taps, and where it goes after. Through their work, they have dug up the answers to interesting and innovative questions for the future of our water, such as whether groundwater could be a potential untapped water source, and have brought concerns around infrastructure, pollution and wastewater treatment to light.

    18 min
  4. Building better cities

    EPISODE 16

    Building better cities

    The relationship between water and how we build our cities is complex. Water is integral to so many building processes; it is used in excessive amounts when we pour concrete and in steel manufacturing, and our cities need to be built in harmony with water to ensure proper drainage and flow. Afua Wilcox is an architect, currently working on a PhD on affordable housing in Johannesburg’s historic Alexandra township. For Afua, sustainable architecture is about rebuilding our relationship with nature and climate, creating architecture that works in sync with our environment, and a sensitivity to materials.

    25 min
  5. Water and security

    EPISODE 17

    Water and security

    The South African Constitution is clear: “Everyone has the right to have access to sufficient food and water.” But how that plays out in practice is what Elizabeth Biney of Equal Education is passionate about changing. Equal Education is a movement of learners, parents, post-school youth, teachers and community members who are essentially agitating the government for quality and equal education. And they do so through advocacy and research, strategic litigation and youth organising. A key tenet of this is access to water and safe sanitation, which hundreds of schools around the country are still unable to provide their learners.

    22 min
  6. The life of a river

    EPISODE 18

    The life of a river

    Through his obsessive search for the source of Johannesburg’s Jukskei River, journalist Sean Christie has journeyed below the city and dug up some fascinating, and at times squalid, insights into this river and how the city above it functions. For example, did you know that water has an isotopic signature, so hydrologists can trace where the water in your trap really comes from (in Johannesburg, the answer is likely Lesotho)? Or that there is a phenomenon known as sewage mining, which causes havoc in an already outdated system?

    25 min
  7. Running out of water

    EPISODE 19

    Running out of water

    Does the answer to South Africa’s water shortage problems lie in mining the salt from our rivers? There aren’t many people more knowledgeable (or passionate) about South Africa’s natural and man-made freshwater resources than Professor Anthony Turton. He’s dedicated decades to researching our water, and is currently involved in the development and rollout of cutting-edge technologies with a focus of solving our water issues. And he’s found a potential solution to both our economic and water woes: mining our increasingly saline rivers for salt, creating jobs and producing potable water. Water is a vital economic enabler, and for Anthony, investing in new technologies and fixing up the water sector is paramount for job creation and moving towards a circular beneficiation economy.

    25 min
  8. A brief history of water on Planet Earth

    EPISODE 20

    A brief history of water on Planet Earth

    In this episode of For Water For Life, hosts Gugulethu Mhlungu and Michelle Constant facilitate a conversation that’s a little different than usual. With the help of ​​Thato Tshukudu (who is also known as Gogo Mthunzi or Mkhulu Manzini), movement practitioner Tekano Phambani, Professor Anthony Turton and journalist Sean Christie, they’ll be taking you on a cosmic – and maybe even slightly chaotic – journey of water on Planet Earth. It’s a grand history of the universe that aims to spark imaginations. From Anthony, we learn the science behind where water comes from and how it found its way onto our planet, while Thato and Tekano explore our deep energetic connection with nature and water – and thus the value of listening to it, caring for it and protecting it. Mixing facts and a deep curiosity about water, Sean discusses our historical relationships with water in South Africa and our constant desire to be near it.

    27 min
See All Season 2 (13)

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About

The podcast about water that might just change your life. For Water For Life tells the extraordinary stories of 12 ordinary women and men who have made it their life's work to protect, preserve and replenish the water supply in their unequal and water-scarce country, South Africa. From indigenous knowledge to cutting edge science, each episode reveals the challenges and insights of these geologists, healers, innovators, farmers, organisers and activists. Disclaimer: This podcast series is brought to you by JoJo in the interests of conversations around water. The opinions and comments made in the episodes do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints and opinions of JoJo, and we have made every attempt to ensure the reliability of information provided. Products or technologies mentioned will not be brought to market by JoJo.

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