CEN supports the project of the TU Delft students in Botswana
At CEN, our commitment to sustainability goes beyond our core business. We believe in the importance of supporting innovative and valuable projects for the future of our planet. For this reason, we are proud to contribute to the project of a group of six students from TU Delft, who are developing an extraordinary initiative within the Limpopo Lipadi Nature Reserve in Botswana.
The reserve, which spans over 20,000 hectares near the border with South Africa, is home to a wide variety of local wildlife and flora. However, the challenge of maintaining a sustainable balance between human activities and the protection of natural resources is increasingly pressing. To address this challenge, the team of students—coming from various academic backgrounds and nationalities (Netherlands, Italy, France, Iceland, and Mexico)—has set out to improve the understanding of the reserve's water balance and find effective methods to preserve soil health.
The Project
The project, which combines expertise in Water Resource Engineering and Resource and Waste Engineering, aims to:
- Study the current availability of groundwater in the reserve;
- Assess the impact of vegetation thinning methods on the water balance and soil quality;
- Propose concrete strategies to optimize the use of natural resources, contributing to the sustainability of the reserve’s activities.
The team will work closely with local researchers, conducting field experiments and analyzing data in the laboratory. During the experimental phase, innovative tools, such as the infiltration test with a double-ring infiltrometer and the tea bag index to assess soil health, will be used. These experiments will collect valuable data on water infiltration characteristics and the soil's water retention capacity.
The Importance of the Project
This project is particularly relevant not only for the Limpopo Lipadi Reserve but also for the scientific community and the natural resource management sector. The results obtained will be essential in defining a sustainable water and soil management strategy and preserving resources for future generations. Additionally, the project will have a direct impact on the reserve’s future decisions regarding vegetation and water resource management, allowing for proactive solutions to challenges related to climate change and the increasing scarcity of water.
CEN and Sustainability
CEN’s support for this project reflects our vision of a more sustainable and responsible future. We believe in the importance of supporting initiatives like this one, which combine innovation, scientific research, and environmental respect.
Contributing to projects like the TU Delft students’ initiative allows us to be an active part of the change towards a more conscious management of natural resources. This commitment perfectly aligns with our corporate values and our desire to promote sustainable solutions to address global environmental challenges.