Gemma is the Senior Climatologist and Environmentalist at Umvoto having started at the company in August 2017; before which she achieved Summa Cum Laude for her Master’s degree in Environmental and Geographical Sciences (specialising in climatology) from the University of Cape Town. She started as a Personal Assistant to the Directors, working closely with the late founder Rowena Hay on the UN Environment’s Freshwater Chapter of the sixth edition GEO-6 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, after which Rowena nominated Gemma as a UN Environment GEO-6 Fellow. Gemma was then promoted to Junior Environmentalist in 2018 where she gained experience as an Environmental Control Officer on the Cape Flats Aquifer Management Scheme New Water Programme project. As Climatologist and Senior Climatologist, Gemma works on various climate-related projects throughout South Africa and Africa, most recently in Oromia, Ethiopia and Windhoek, Namibia. Gemma is a registered Professional Natural Scientist (Environmental Science and Atmospheric Science Fields of Practice) with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP).
Gemma has completed two rounds (2021 and 2022) of the UN Global Compact Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Ambition Accelerator programme, which is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative – a call to companies to align strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and take actions that advance societal goals. Gemma is also a member of the UN’s SDG Community of Practice. Further to this Gemma works closely with the Marketing Department on various marketing initiatives and is a Collaborator to The Umvoto Foundation, a non-profit company established to support people and communities to achieve clean and healthy water systems, and through this vibrant, safe and resilient communities. The foundation also has a strong interest in promoting geoheritage and geoethics, and Gemma is currently working on the first in a series of geoheritage field guidebooks with colleagues looking at the history of the Table Mountain Dams and Cape Town’s Water Supply.
In her spare time Gemma is an avid baker and proud plant mom, as well as enjoying green belt walks and getting into nature.
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Mandela Day 2025: “It’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity”
Mandela Day This Mandela Day, Umvoto and The Umvoto Foundation (TUF), in collaboration with the Groundwater Division, collaborated with HOKISA children’s home to educate children one the water cycle. The theme for 2025 is “it’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity”, which Umvoto and TUF took the opportunity to address by making…
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Heritage Day Potjie Challenge
What is Heritage Day Celebrated across the country on September 24th, Heritage Day is a national holiday recognising and celebrating the cultural diversity of South Africa. The theme for 2024 was “Celebrating the lives of our heroes and heroines who laid down their lives for our freedom,” with the campaign tag line of “Our History,…
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Umvoto presenting at the IAIAsa Conference
The International Association for Impact Assessment South Africa (IAIAsa) are hosting their annual conference from the 27th to the 30th of August in Rustenburg North West, where the theme is ‘From roar to revolution: Unleashing the future of IEM’. Some of our team at Umvoto will be presenting at this conference. Gemma Bluff (Senior Climatologist),…
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SDG Flag Campaign
The 25th September 2023 marks eight years since the world embraced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 17 goals that guide humanity to a more sustainable world by 2030. To showcase how Umvoto are working together for the SDGs, this year we are taking part in the SDG Flag Campaign with the Global Compact Network South…
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Compliance monitoring of hydrogen sulphide levels
The importance of compliance monitoring Compliance monitoring is an important component of environmental management, ensuring that industry complies with global standards and guidelines. Umvoto has been undertaking compliance monitoring for various clients for a number of years, one of which is Tulu Moye Geothermal. In this instance, the quality of the air is measured and…
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Umvoto aligns with the UN’s SDG Ambition Accelerator
The UN Global Compact is “the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative – a call to companies to align strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and take actions that advance societal goals”. These align with the UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), of which there are 17. Umvoto signed up…
