Zimbabwe , SA & Botswana formulate joint research plans

The Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) teamed up with two other research and technologcal organisations in the Southern Africa region and established a formidable research group called the Regional Research Alliance (RRA). The other two members of the RRA are the Botswana Technology Centre (BOTEC) and CSIR of South Africa.

Researchers and research managers from SIRDC, CSIR and BOTEC met in Nyanga, Zimbabwe recently for the first technical workshop of the RRA. Participants developed a short to medium term plan within the three research focus areas of the RRA (water and food security; energy; and construction and infrastructure).

Possible project areas include groundwater and rainwater in southern Africa; innovative, alternative water treatment technologies; energy management; mapping energy resources; and building codes, standards and specifications.

Zimbabwe’s SIRDC leads the team that will draw up research project plans in the energy research field, South Africa’s CSIR manages the water and food security team, while BOTEC administers the team dealing with construction and infrastructure.

SIRDC experts will serve on all three teams – Mr Brian Makokoro, Acting Director of the SIRDC’s Energy Technology Institute heads the RRA energy team, Mr Morris Chidavaenzi, a research scientist, will be the Zimbabwe expert seconded to the water and food security team, and Engineer Hamilton Sithole will be the SIRDC representative on the building construction and infrastructure team.

The RRA Board will meet in June 2005 to review the Nyanga workshop and evaluate RRA activities to date, as well as discuss the strategic direction of the Alliance.

Regional partnerships are key to development and for maximising the benefits of sharing knowledge and experience. The RRA was established to explore the opportunities offered by the consolidation of resources of the three partner research organisations.