Ms Gugulethu Tshabalala, a Master’s candidate in Environmental Science in UKZN’s School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES) travelled to Canada to present her research at the International Conference on Water, Informatics, Sustainability and the Environment (iWise).
The three-day conference took place at Carleton University in Ottawa. The theme was Global Warming – Global Responsibility, and roughly 100 researchers and experts from across the world participated, representing a variety of organisations including government bodies, academic institutions, and non-governmental organisations.
Gugulethu’s paper on soil erosion on natural grasslands and subsistence agricultural crops at Fountain Hill Estate, Wartburg, KwaZulu-Natal, forms part of her master’s research, which falls under a larger Water Research Commission (WRC) project concerned with facilitation of erosional control and monitoring in a rural setting.
The presentation was well-received and she received valuable input from representatives of various institutions.
‘I really enjoyed the trip so much; the food, warm people and great Ottawa late summer weather were fantastic!’ she said.
Gugulethu thanked her supervisor, Professor Trevor Hill, for his support, as well as the WRC, staff in UKZN’s Centre for Water Resources Research, colleagues, family (especially her twin sister) and friends for their support and encouragement.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied