In April, Junior Environmentalist Kim Parker, had the incredible opportunity to attend the South African Scoring System (SASS5) Training Course hosted by the Freshwater Research Centre in Kommetjie, Cape Town. This four-day course provided hands-on experience conducting SASS5 biomonitoring – a rapid aquatic biomonitoring method used to assess the health of rivers and streams in South Africa by examining the types of macroinvertebrates (small aquatic animals) present in streams and rivers.
Why are freshwater assessments relevant to us?
SASS5 forms part of freshwater assessments and is often a requirement of water use licence applications (WULAs) under the National Water Act (No. 36 of 1998) and Environmental Impact Assessments under the National Environmental Management Act (No. 107 of 1998). It is also frequently included as a monitoring condition of WULs. Freshwater assessments help determine whether a proposed water use activity (like abstraction, discharge, construction near a watercourse, etc.) will have an impact on aquatic ecosystems, particularly rivers and wetlands. In this way, freshwater assessments contribute to effective water resource monitoring and management.
What was the SASS5 Training Course all about?
The course kicked off with a deep dive into the importance of biomonitoring, especially in the South African context. Emphasis was placed on aquatic macroinvertebrates as bioindicators of ecosystem health. Their presence, or absence, tells us a lot about the water quality and overall health of rivers and streams. From dragonflies to freshwater shrimps, each organism plays a role in helping to evaluate river health.
One of the course highlights was a field trip to the Eerste River in Stellenbosch. An opportunity for the participants to get their feet wet (literally) and practice the SASS5 sampling techniques.
Back in the lab, participants were given the opportunity to identify the invertebrates under the microscope. The course wrapped up with a look at how to interpret SASS5 data and report findings as well as being introduced to digital tools like the Freshwater Biodiversity Information System (FBIS-Africa) – a powerful platform that stores, manages, and shares data on freshwater biodiversity across Africa. FBIS-Africa is revolutionising freshwater assessments in South Africa by making high-quality biodiversity and biomonitoring data accessible, standardised, and actionable.
Overall, the course was a great opportunity to learn from leading freshwater ecologists and gaining hands-on experience in the SASS5 protocols with the ultimate aim to strengthen Umvoto’s capacity to support water use licencing, environmental assessments, or compliance monitoring work in-house.
For help with your water use licence applications, contact Umvoto.
