Researchers at the CSIR are building on their early successes in the development of technologies for the treatment of mine wastewater by developing a pilot plant to treat acid mine drainage and recover metals. CSIR senior researcher Dr Vhahangwele Masindi is a young trailblazer and inventor of as...
Keeping tabs on carbon dioxide: A South African perspective on the 2017 Global Carbon Budget
The just-released 2017 Global Carbon Budget, an annual update on the carbon budget published through a partnership of the international science community, shows that the increase in fossil fuel emissions was lower than that of a decade ago. Scientists believe that it may point to a global decline...
Limiting the potential for seismic events using models
A numerical model has proven successful in predicting rock mass response when mining the shaft pillars in mines. This will contribute to safer mining by enabling mining companies to avoid seismic events induced by this mining activity. The model simulates the bore-and-fill operations calibrated a...
Creating conducive working gear for women in mining
The CSIR has completed research into making mining gear, in particular, self-contained self-rescuers, more suitable for the female form. The Mine Health and Safety Council awarded a contract to the CSIR to assess the ergonomic design of the current devices and make recommendations that will impro...
CSIR launches 2nd edition Climate Risk and Vulnerability handbook for Southern Africa
The 2nd edition of the Climate Risk and Vulnerability handbook was launched on 5 October at the CSIR 6th Biennial Conference in Pretoria. Highlighting the costs of weather-related disasters between 1980 and 2015 in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), this latest rendition of the cr...
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
South Africa ratified the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in 1997 to promote international cooperation to combat desertification and the effects of drought. World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is commemorated annually on 17 June. This year’s theme, ‘Our land. Our h...
New book on geoinformatics for marine and coastal management
CSIR principal researcher Dr Louis Celliers has co-edited a new book and valuable resource in the management of the oceans, seas and coasts of the world. Titled “Geoinformatics for marine and coastal management”, the book responds to the 14th Sustainable Development Goal: Conserve and sustainably...
CSIR Optics Student Chapter competes internationally
The CSIR Optics Student Chapter (OSC) was recognised as a finalist among three other international student chapters in the community/youth outreach category at the Optical Society of America (OSA) Student Chapter and Local Section Excellence Prize ceremony held in Rochester, New York, last month....
A South African perspective on the 2016 Global carbon budget
The 2016 global carbon budget released on 14 November 2016, shows that while a three year reduced growth in fossil fuel carbon emissions is good news, South Africa still has twice the global average of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per person, compelling the country to increase its mitigation op...
Three LiDAR systems successfully collect data simultaneously at same location
For the first time in South Africa laser scientists at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) were able to operate three LiDAR measurement simultaneously in the same location to collect atmospheric backscatter data in Westville, Durban. This historic event took place at the LiD...