Ayanda Thembelihle Ngcobo

Assistant Project Manager – Water Resource Planning & Management

KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Water Reconciliation Strategies | National Water Balances Project.

• Strategic Water Resource Planning: Developed national and regional water reconciliation strategies to align water availability with current and future demand, integrating environmental and socio-economic objectives.
• Advanced Hydrological Modeling: Conducted yield analyses using the Water Resource Yield Model (WRYM) and developed operating rules for complex water supply systems.
• Allocation and Intervention Planning: Applied the Water Resource Planning Model (WRPM/YRC) for short-term allocation planning and intervention scheduling.
• Data Verification and Validation : Verified and validated modelling datasets, contributing to technical reviews such as the uMhlathuze System Annual Operating Analysis.
• Environmental and Regulatory Compliance: Provided scientific input for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), Water Use License Applications (WULAs), and resource protection planning.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Participated in Strategy Steering Committees and Stakeholder Operating Forums 12 each year, facilitating coordination among diverse stakeholders.
• Resource Classification and Quality Objectives: Contributed to the classification of water resources, delineation of Resource Units (RUs) and Integrated Units of Analysis (IUAs), and determination of Resource Quality Objectives (RQOs).
• Water Quality Monitoring: Conducted water quality monitoring and sampling of surface water and discharge points.
• Feasibility Studies and Impact Evaluation: Supported feasibility studies and evaluated technical, social, economic, and environmental impacts of proposed interventions.
• Project Management Excellence: Simultaneously managed multiple projects, facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration and delivering all milestones on time.

Environmental and Water Resource Analyst | Project Support Specialist

• Reviewed and provided technical comments on Environmental Management Plans (EMPs), Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), and Water Use License Applications (WULAs) to ensure alignment with environmental and water legislation.
• Collated and analyzed data from all 9 Provincial Offices for integration into national water resource planning.
• Conducted surface water quality monitoring, including sampling at discharge and monitoring points.
• Performed in-depth data analysis to support decision-making in environmental and water resource projects.
• Supported project management through planning, execution tracking, and reporting across multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Led 4 stakeholder engagement analysis, generated comprehensive reports, and actively participated in meetings with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated strong analytical and problem-solving abilities in developing practical solutions for complex environmental challenges.
• Adapted quickly to new environments and regulatory contexts, consistently meeting deadlines in high-pressure situations.