NRF-SAEON's Dr Zanele Ntshidi hopes her Water and Oceans Initiatives award inspires young environmental scholars and activists

The National Research Foundation (NRF) congratulates Dr Zanele Ntshidi, Research Manager: Arid Lands Node at the South African Environmental Observation Network (NRF-SAEON), for her impressive win at the Mail & Guardian’s “Greening The Future” awards.

She was crowned a Green Champion under the Water and Oceans Initiatives category. The “Greening The Future” awards celebrate South Africans under the age of 35 who are driving some of the country’s most innovative projects aimed at protecting the environment, promoting sustainable practices, and combating climate change.

The trailblazing Dr Ntshidi joined NRF-SAEON’s Arid Lands Node in October 2023, bringing with her expertise and experience in environmental monitoring and research in arid ecosystems. She has a PhD in Environmental and Water Sciences from the University of the Western Cape where she also studied for her Master of Science (MSc) and Honours degrees.

The “Greening The Future” awards recognised Dr Ntshidi for her sterling research on hyper-arid to semi-arid parts of South Africa. Her research focuses on the ecological effects of global warming, land use changes and water scarcity. For years, Dr Ntshidi has used her expertise to advise farmers on how to reduce water wastage by producing more food with less water.

An application created in one of the projects she led helps farmers forecast their plant water use. This is anchored in being informed about how much water to use for irrigation, thus saving water and improving their yields. The app was a product of work she was commissioned to carry out by the Water Research Commission (WRC).

Dr Ntshidi, a widely published scholar, is delighted to be recognised for her work. “This recognition means the world to me, it’s a culmination of all the hard work and dedication towards providing innovative solutions for environmental and water resources management for a sustainable society,” she says.

“This award highlights the crucial role of young leaders in driving environmental change. I hope this inspires and encourages leaders of tomorrow to engage in environmental activism and sustainable practices.”

As NRF-SAEON’s Research Manager: Arid Lands Node, Dr Ntshidi is responsible for overseeing the Node programmes and platforms, data streams, student training, environmental science education and public engagement. She also manages staff, business operations, financial budgets, equipment, infrastructure and host-relationships of the node, as well as the maintenance of data management systems. 

“As team NRF-SAEON, we will continue with world-class environmental observations, manage the data we collect, and foster environmental education as we strive for a positive societal impact,” she says.