The challenges of moving beyond technical understanding and regulatory compliance to deliver defensible, sustainable environmental outcomes are becoming increasingly complex.
Effective decisions require an integrated understanding of environmental systems, long-term risks, commercial realities, and the people and processes involved in delivering remediation.
At this year’s NICOLA Conference, taking place from 28-29 October 2026 under the theme Connecting Knowledge to Action, WSP in Africa will contribute its multidisciplinary expertise in contaminated land management, remediation and ecosystem restoration, exploring how environmental knowledge can be translated into practical, sustainable outcomes.
Bringing together international regulatory perspectives, groundwater science, remediation technologies and real-world project experience, WSP’s specialists will share insights on managing risk, addressing historic contamination and supporting informed environmental decision-making.
Dr Olivier Maurer, Global Account Manager for WSP and NICOLE (Network for Industrially Coordinated Sustainable Land Management in Europe) representative, will deliver a keynote address exploring the EU Soil Monitoring Law and its implications for sustainable remediation worldwide. The legislation represents a significant development in recognising soil health as fundamental to environmental sustainability and food security, establishing common monitoring approaches and risk-based systems for identifying potentially contaminated sites.
“The European Union’s ambition to achieve healthy soils by 2050 reinforces the importance of treating soil as a finite resource that underpins food security and environmental resilience. These developments offer valuable lessons for Africa as we consider how monitoring, regulation and risk-based approaches can support better long-term outcomes,” Dr Maurer explains.
Groundwater protection is another central theme in WSP in Africa’s programme, with three experts examining how practitioners can interpret environmental data, evaluate remediation options and assess potential impacts with greater confidence.
Sarah Skinner, Director: Groundwater at WSP in Africa, will present a case study on the feasibility of permeable reactive barriers, a passive technology that treats groundwater contamination as water moves through reactive materials installed underground. Her presentation demonstrates why successful implementation requires more than confirming suitable hydrogeological conditions or laboratory performance.
“Remediation decisions need to consider the whole system, not just whether a technology works in principle,” Skinner says. “By applying multi-criteria decision analysis, we can identify overlooked risks, account for changing site conditions and make more defensible decisions about whether a permeable reactive barrier is appropriate.”
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Aashna Bissoon, Hydrogeologist and Groundwater Modeller at WSP in Africa, will explore how climatic variability influences groundwater monitoring in a Groundwater Management Unit in South Africa’s Northern Cape. By combining statistical analysis, rainfall records and conceptual hydrogeological modelling, the study demonstrates that groundwater responses vary across locations, even under the same regional climatic conditions.
Bissoon emphasises that groundwater monitoring data needs to be interpreted in context. “Understanding the relationship between rainfall, aquifer characteristics and longer-term groundwater behaviour helps us distinguish natural variability from potentially significant environmental changes,” she says. “This strengthens risk assessments and supports evidence-based decisions, particularly in water-stressed environments.”
Camille Kraak, Principal Associate: Groundwater at WSP in Africa, will present an assessment of the transition from open-pit to underground mining at a Southern African operation. Integrating three-dimensional groundwater flow and contaminant transport modelling with geochemical assessment, Kraak’s study evaluates potential impacts during the mine’s operational life and after closure.
“Predictive groundwater modelling enables us to move beyond qualitative assessments and evaluate potential contaminant pathways under different conditions,” Kraak says. “Understanding how geology, groundwater connectivity and contaminant sources interact provides a stronger technical basis for mine design and closure planning, while addressing stakeholder concerns about protecting surrounding water resources.”
Governance, procurement and communication challenges can prevent technical knowledge from translating into effective environmental outcomes.
Adam Sanderson, Director: Geochemistry at WSP in Africa, and Heidi Snyman, Strategic Technical Advisor for WSP in Africa and NICOLA representative, will form part of a dialogue-based examination of a contaminated land investigation, following the project from inception to final reporting. Their presentation explores how misaligned procurement requirements, appointment delays, access constraints, limited budgets and resource pressures can undermine project delivery, data quality and decision-making.
“South Africa has extensive environmental regulation and technical guidance, yet implementation remains challenging when communication and governance processes fail. Understanding the pressures experienced by clients, consultants and regulators is essential if we are to improve collaboration and deliver safer, more effective environmental outcomes,” says Sanderson.
Snyman adds: “The gap between knowledge and action is not always a technical problem. Project outcomes are also shaped by procurement decisions, institutional processes, competing expectations and the time available for critical thinking. Recognising these constraints can help stakeholders work together more constructively and make better-informed decisions.”
WSP’s team of experts seeks to highlight a common principle at the conference: sustainable remediation depends on integrating scientific evidence with practical experience, sound governance and a clear understanding of long-term environmental risk.
At NICOLA 2026, WSP in Africa will contribute to the sector’s collective effort to turn insight into action, supporting more informed decisions that protect soil and groundwater resources while delivering sustainable remedial outcomes.
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