Are we taking enough real action to secure the future of our species? | WSP Skip to content
WSP WSP
WSP WSP
  • Who We Are

    We are the sum of our collective passion, vision and expertise.

    Discover our people, purpose and stories that have helped shape the organization we are today and are inspiring the one we will become.

    Who We Are
    • What We Stand For
    • Our Story
    • Future Ready
    • Corporate Responsibility
    • Local Leadership
    Corporate Responsibility
    • Communities
    • Corporate Governance
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Ethics and Integrity
    • Health and Safety
    • Sustainability
    Featured Content

    Embracing an inclusive and diverse culture that…

    WSP's commitment to inclusion and diversity (I&D) is a central pillar of our culture and values.…

  • What We Do

    We shape the communities of tomorrow and help society thrive.

    With an intimate sense of local realities, we look at complex problems from different angles and deliver solutions that break paradigms.


    View All

    • Sectors
    • Services
    • Projects
    What We Do
    • Property & Buildings
    • Transportation & Infrastructure
    • Environment & Sustainability
    • Energy & Resources
    Featured Content

    Champlain Hudson Power Express Transmission Line

    High-voltage transmission line bringing hydropower-generated electricity from Canada to New York City…

  • Insights

    Our global experts offer compelling insights that provide new perspectives.

    Read inspiring articles that challenge the status quo by reframing current issues, sparking fresh conversations and finding new solutions.

    View all
    Insights
    • Climate
    • Mobility
    • Places
    • Resources
    • Society
    • Technology
    Featured Content

    Pursuing Sustainability and Productivity Gains…

    WSP's Digital Project Delivery white paper explores how to enable projects to be built faster and with…

  • Careers

    Help us shape the future

    Join a collaborative team of experts that thrives on complex challenges and unconventional thinking.

    See more
    Careers
    • Join Us
    • Early Career
    • Experienced Professionals
    • Why Choose WSP
    • Bursary
    Featured Content
    thn-hero-less-talk-more-action

    Less Talk, More Action

    Join a collaborative team of experts that thrives on complex challenges and unconventional thinking.

  • Who We Are
    • What We Stand For
    • Our Story
    • Future Ready
    • Corporate Responsibility
      • Who We Are
      • Accountable for Tomorrow
        • Communities
        • Corporate Governance
        • Diversity and Inclusion
        • Ethics and Integrity
        • Health and Safety
        • Sustainability
    • Local Leadership
  • What We Do
    • Property & Buildings
    • Transportation & Infrastructure
    • Environment & Sustainability
    • Energy & Resources
  • Insights
    • Climate
    • Mobility
    • Places
    • Resources
    • Society
    • Technology
  • Careers
    • Join Us
    • Early Career
    • Experienced Professionals
    • Why Choose WSP
    • Bursary
Back

We are locally dedicated with international scale.

South Africa - English

International

  • Global
    English - Français

Americas

  • Brazil
    Português
  • Canada
    English - Français
  • Chile
    Español
  • Colombia
    Español
  • Mexico
    Español
  • Panama
    Español
  • Peru
    Español
  • United States
    English

Africa

  • South Africa
    English

Asia

  • China
    中文(简体) - English
  • Hong Kong
    English
  • India
    English
  • Malaysia
    English
  • Philippines
    English
  • Singapore
    English
  • South Korea
    한국어(대한민국) - English
  • Thailand
    English

Europe

  • Denmark
    Dansk
  • Finland
    Suomi
  • France
    Français
  • Germany
    Deutsch
  • Greenland
    English - Kalaallisut
  • Italy
    Italiano
  • Netherlands
    Nederlands
  • Norway
    Norsk
  • Poland
    Polski - English
  • Romania
    English
  • Spain
    Español
  • Sweden
    Svenska - English
  • Switzerland
    Deutsch - English
  • United Kingdom
    English

Middle East

  • Kuwait
    English
  • Oman
    English
  • Qatar
    English
  • Saudi Arabia
    English
  • United Arab Emirates
    English

Oceania

  • Australia
    English
  • New Zealand
    English
Worldwide Offices
    • Investors

      Discover our diverse business, financial results and strategic ambitions.

      We are committed to delivering sustainable value to our shareholders and exceptional professional services to our clients.

      Read more
      Investors
      • Corporate Governance
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
      • Stock Information
      • Shareholder Information
      • Presentations and Events
      Corporate Governance
      • Audit Committee
      • Board of Directors
      • Business Conduct Hotline
      • Constating Documents
      • Governance Documents
      • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
      • Mandates
      Reports & Filings
      • AIF
      • Annual
      • Information Circular
      • Quarterly
      • SEDAR Filings
      • Sustainability
      Stock Information
      • Analyst Coverage
      Shareholder Information
      • Acquisitions
      • Dividends
      • Drip
      • FAQ
      Featured Content

      WSP's Q4 and 2022 Results

      We released our 2022 fourth quarter and year end results on March 8, 2023 after market close.

    • Investors
      • Corporate Governance
        • Investors
        • Corporate Governance
          • Audit Committee
          • Board of Directors
          • Business Conduct Hotline
          • Constating Documents
          • Governance Documents
          • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
          • Mandates
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
        • Investors
        • REPORTS & FILINGS
          • AIF
          • Annual
          • Information Circular
          • Quarterly
          • SEDAR Filings
          • Sustainability
      • Stock Information
        • Investors
        • Stock Information
          • Analyst Coverage
      • Shareholder Information
        • Investors
        • Shareholder Information
          • Acquisitions
          • Dividends
          • Drip
          • FAQ
      • Presentations and Events
    • News

      Progress happens quickly.

      Stay up to date with our latest global news, events, awards and more.

      News
      • Latest News
      • Events and Webinars
      Featured Content

      Climate Change Webinars

      Discover case studies addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation projects. WSP experts will…

    • Contact us

      We are dedicated to our local communities and driven by global talent.

      Contact us to find out how our diversified offering, world-class expertise and geographical reach can assist you in achieving your vision.

      Contact Us

      Follow us

      Contact us
      • Request a Proposal
      • Send a Message
      • Find an Expert
      Featured Content

      Our offices

      Acting locally means being present in our communities. With offices throughout the world, you can…

    • Investors

      Discover our diverse business, financial results and strategic ambitions.

      We are committed to delivering sustainable value to our shareholders and exceptional professional services to our clients.

      Read more
      Investors
      • Corporate Governance
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
      • Stock Information
      • Shareholder Information
      • Presentations and Events
      Corporate Governance
      • Audit Committee
      • Board of Directors
      • Business Conduct Hotline
      • Constating Documents
      • Governance Documents
      • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
      • Mandates
      Reports & Filings
      • AIF
      • Annual
      • Information Circular
      • Quarterly
      • SEDAR Filings
      • Sustainability
      Stock Information
      • Analyst Coverage
      Shareholder Information
      • Acquisitions
      • Dividends
      • Drip
      • FAQ
      Featured Content

      WSP's Q4 and 2022 Results

      We released our 2022 fourth quarter and year end results on March 8, 2023 after market close.

    • Investors
      • Corporate Governance
        • Investors
        • Corporate Governance
          • Audit Committee
          • Board of Directors
          • Business Conduct Hotline
          • Constating Documents
          • Governance Documents
          • Governance Ethics and Compensation Committee
          • Mandates
      • Press Releases
      • Reports & Filings
        • Investors
        • REPORTS & FILINGS
          • AIF
          • Annual
          • Information Circular
          • Quarterly
          • SEDAR Filings
          • Sustainability
      • Stock Information
        • Investors
        • Stock Information
          • Analyst Coverage
      • Shareholder Information
        • Investors
        • Shareholder Information
          • Acquisitions
          • Dividends
          • Drip
          • FAQ
      • Presentations and Events
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Events and Webinars
    • Contact us
      • Request a Proposal
      • Send a Message
      • Find an Expert
  1. WSP in Africa
  2. Insights
  3. Are we taking enough real action?

Are we taking enough real action to secure the future of our species?

We need longer-term thinking on planning, development and sustainability to relieve the impact of human activities to secure a future for all species on Earth.

map marker South Africa | Monday, 29 April 2019
Reading Time : 4,5 minutes

Earth Day, commemorated on April 22, aims to raise awareness and support for environmental protection. This years' theme of Protect Our Species: In nature, nothing exists alone is intended to draw the world’s attention to accelerating rates of extinction and to those species placed on the endangered list – as well as the causes and consequences of this phenomenon. Experts from WSP in Africa share their views on the need for longer-term thinking on planning, development and sustainability to relieve the impact of human activities to secure a future for all species on Earth, particularly in the context of climate change.

The ugly truth of the human takeover

“Governments, businesses and societies across Africa are facing huge impacts from unprecedented megatrends, including; urbanisation, population growth, energy and resource challenges, technological advancements, extreme weather conditions, and the effects of climate change,” says Adam Sanderson, Senior Associate, WSP in Africa: Land Restoration & Ground Engineering. “And, while it is not feasible to halt development – as this would have devastating implications across economies, markets and communities – we must start to do things differently, to mitigate the compounding effects that human activities are having on the rapid erosion and reduction of plant, wildlife, insects and even microorganism species.” 

To put this into context; the latest Living Planet Report by the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) highlights that populations of several species of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles have declined by an average of 60% between 1970 and 2014, the latest available data. Further research suggests that three-quarters of all land on Earth (excluding Antarctica) is under significant pressure from human activities. 

“It should be noted that much of the land that currently remains free of the human footprint is because it is geographically remote and not easy to access, or the make-up of the terrain is not suitable for agriculture or urban development. But, where there is a human footprint, many activities continue to impact upon crucial resources like air, water and soil,” adds Sanderson.

Lisa Ramsay, Air Quality specialist at WSP in Africa and Research Fellow at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, says, “This presents a danger to civilisation. We depend on nature for everything from production of food and clean water, to resources used to generate power and for building our infrastructure, etc. Nature also plays a fundamental role in regulating the Earth’s climate and mitigating weather events. The natural environment and all species therefore have a fundamental role to play in helping maintain balance in ecosystems, as well as future securing species of plants and wildlife that are heavily relied on to sustain human life.” 

The juxtaposition of governments and industries

Sanderson believes that there needs to be a holistic approach that not only addresses the immediate challenges but that through intervention long-term positive effects on natural environments, and therein species that need to be able to co-exist, can be achieved.

“If we look at the water crisis that continues to affect many regions around Southern Africa, in conjunction with increased urbanisation and population growth, there is an ever increasing reliance on groundwater resources. However, should these reservoirs become contaminated – which can result from any number of industrial or domestic activities where pollutants can enter the environment – then the water may be rendered unsuitable for use or consumption without substantial treatment. Not to mention the legacy affect that certain pollutants can have on the terrain and the soil, and thus potential land-use. Where rehabilitation and remediation is needed to restore the quality of the land of any given site – and if this is only acted on at the end of life of that site – this can be an expensive undertaking, and may never achieve pristine conditions” says Sanderson. 

In most African countries, however, environmental legislation is still under-scoped. South Africa currently has the most advanced legislation across the region in this regard. The National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) provides the underlying framework for environmental law and linked to this the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has actively been releasing a number of amendments and accompanying pieces of regulation, not limited to, on air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, contaminated land, pollution prevention plans, water services, waste management and the Carbon Tax Bill, etc.

“These are all certainly important. But where the evolution of environmental law, and its practitioners in South Africa falls short is its tendency to focus on traditional, well-established, contaminants where the laws or even accompanying guidelines have not yet been extrapolated. In first world markets environmental laws are already looking at emerging contaminants that result from population growth and consumption, such as, for example, the environmental impact of antibiotics entering water resources. It’s this kind of specification that begins to further explore the full impact of the population on the environment - where remediation strategies in first world markets are also moving from addressing only traditional to emerging contaminants too,” adds Sanderson. 

Ramsay suggests that most current environmental laws are focused on preventing or reducing human health impacts. “If we look at the requirements of an Air Quality Impact Assessment (AQIA), for example, the bulk of the information about a particular site centres on the potential effects on human health, with the assumption that if human health is protected, so will ecological systems. In some cases, additional analysis of the effects on water bodies and species, for example, may be required depending on the site. We cannot discount that certain species might be more vulnerable.” 

“Where disruption to natural habitats and ecosystems that is caused by human activities, the power lies in humanity’s hands to make changes to how food is grown, infrastructure is built, industries operate, communities are sustained, products are developed and waste is disposed, etc. But it will take leaders with vision and collective human will to act now and affect positive change towards sustaining a balance between environmental protection, social desirability and economic development that will support spaces where society and species – including our own – can thrive, well into the future,” concludes Ramsay.


More on this subject

thn-The Cost of Climate Change COP27

November 2022

The Cost of Climate Change

Blog
COP27 , Climate , Decarbonization , Resilience
thn-001-PFAS-Soil

November 2022

Preliminary results on PFAS Destruction in Soil

Feature
Resilience
thn-climate-week-takeaways

October 2022 | 4 minutes

Seven Climate Week NYC Takeaways that Should Inform the Agenda at COP27

United States
Feature
Climate , Resilience , COP27
Thn-Website-Antarctica

September 2022

Podcast: Building a science campus on the edge of the world

New Zealand
Podcast
Climate , WSP-and-Engineering-Matters , Resilience
Thn-Website-LA-Bus-Podcast

September 2022

Podcast: Electrifying the Los Angeles Bus Fleet

United States
Podcast
Climate , Society , Decarbonization , WSP-and-Engineering-Matters , COP27 , Technology
thn-New Zealand Applies Mori Philosophy

August 2022

Water: New Zealand Applies Māori Philosophy to 21st-Century Challenges

New Zealand
Feature
Resilience , Society
thn-The New Shape of Water

August 2022

The New Shape of Water: Adapting to Climate Change

Feature
Resilience , COP27
open farm podcast - dog - thm

July 2022

Podcast: Pet Food and Climate Change

Canada
Podcast
Climate , Society , Decarbonization , WSP-and-Engineering-Matters , COP27
thn-Pharma

July 2022

Optimizing Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Manufacturing

Canada
Blog
Resilience , Technology
thn-smart-city

June 2022 | 3 min

Co-Creation – the key to creating value for a city’s future

Finland
Blog
Resilience , Society , Technology
PodcastWSPcomThn563220px

June 2022

Podcast: A road map to net zero highways

United Kingdom
Podcast
Climate , Mobility , Society , WSP-and-Engineering-Matters
thn-no-maintenance-backlog

June 2022

Why there is no such thing as maintenance backlog

Australia
Feature
Resilience

Author

Adam Sanderson
Senior Associate
South Africa

Share this page

  • Share on Facebook - Warning, this link will open a new tab.
  • Share on Linkedin - Warning, this link will open a new tab.
  • Share on Twitter - Warning, this link will open a new tab.
  • Share on Skype - Warning, this link will open your Skype application.

Related themes and tags

  • Resilience (265)

  • Society (160)


  • Environment (110)
  • Climate (79)
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  •   Page will open in a new tab
  • Who We Are
  • What We Stand For
  • Our Story
  • Future Ready
  • Local Leadership
  • Our Offices
  • What We Do
  • Sectors
  • Services
  • Projects
  • Insights
  • Climate
  • Mobility
  • Places
  • Society
  • Resources
  • Technology
  • Careers
  • Join Our Team
  • Bursary
  • Spontaneous Application
  • Corporate
  • Sustainability
  • Health and Safety
  • Investors
  • Business Conduct Hotline
  • News
  • Corporate Governance
  • Ethics and Integrity
    ©2023 WSP
    • The WSP Logo
    • PAIA Manual
    • Privacy Policy
    • Anti-Spam Commitment
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Use
    ©2023 WSP

    Exiting our Website

    You are about to leave WSP.com and are being redirected to a job opportunity at Louis Berger, which has been recently acquired by WSP in the US.