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Joan S. Whitmore Quotes
1922–2002 South Africa
Joan Sydney Whitmore (1922–2002) was a South African hydrologist specialising in agriculture and water. She wrote a book about drought management on farmland, and many reports on water and agriculture, during her career as a government scientist.
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Cloud seeding, again, is an example of an intervention with potential for both harm and good.
When the need arose to start thinking of desalinating and reusing water, Dr Stander of the CSIR earned world recognition.
Time disposition and quality of runoff, base flow, and groundwater accrual, not to mention the quantity and quality of water reaching users downstream.
More often than not these changes, sometimes damaging, occur inadvertently and may be difficult to remedy.
The corporate style of management via a plethora of committees, which is so prevalent today.
Small wonder therefore that South Africa has a long and creditable history of water research and development.
With the result that a change in any one has a chain reaction on others, often with far-reaching consequences.
At the risk of being trite, let me repeat what is well-known but tends to be overlooked.
They could have been anticipated by the foreknowledge whose acquisition is the task of the hydrological researcher.
Such foreknowledge also enables us to manipulate hydrological processes beneficially.
Even common practices such as burning large expanses of veld or ploughing them and planting mielies alter the quantity.
Our water resources are also highly variable and sensitive as regards quality.
As you all well know, it is because South Africa's water supplies are at best undependable, and at worst grossly inadequate.
The many hydrological processes are intricately interrelated.
Interacting powerfully with other substances.
In another sphere the late Prof. CL Wicht put forest hydrology on the world map with his catchment experiments at Jonkershoek on the effects of afforestation and forest management on stream flow.
I have dwelt on the events which led to the founding of the Hydrological Research Institute.
They are infinitely more precious than our much vaunted gold for they are vital not only to all sectors of our economy.
It seems to me that during the first 60 years of this century we relied more on the vision, initiative and drive of gifted individuals.
The Tugela-Vaal and Orange-Fish being two major examples.
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