Agricultural Engineering Podcast

The role of Agricultural Engineers in Flood Prediction and Management - 03

August 02, 2024 • Agricultural Engineering Podcast • Season 1 • Episode 4

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Ever wondered how agricultural engineers are revolutionizing the way we predict and manage floods? Join us for a captivating conversation with Dr. Maharaj, an Agricultural Engineering PhD graduate specialising in hydrological engineering and Modelling as he walks us through his groundbreaking research on improving flood prediction accuracy.

Explore the challenges and triumphs faced by Dr Maharaj during his PhD journey, from navigating external challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic to employing cutting-edge real-time data collection methods such as satellites and drones, Dr. Maharaj shares personal anecdotes highlighting the resilience required in this field. This chapter is a testament to the invaluable support of academic and personal networks in overcoming obstacles and advancing scientific research.

You can find him on LinkedIn as: Dr Udhav Maharaj, PhD

By the South African Institute of Agricultural Engineers

Demian Mukansi:

Hello, I'm Shani Dumelan Sanbonani-Huieda. Welcome to the Agricultural Engineering Podcast. This podcast covers all aspects of agricultural engineering. It is produced by the South African Institute of Agricultural Engineers. The series of episodes has been funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering. We encourage you to tune in and explore the exciting world of agricultural engineering with us. My name is Damian Muganti and I'm your host for today's episode. This episode will explore the role of agricultural engineers in research. We are joined today by Dr Maharaj, a recent graduate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal who is currently an engineer at Ground Truth. Welcome, dr Maharaj.

Dr U Maharaj:

Hello, Damien, and hi to the SAI audience.

Demian Mukansi:

So, Dr Maharaj, can you please share with us about your journey in becoming an agricultural engineer, emphasising on your choice of area of specialisation?

Dr U Maharaj:

Before I start, I just want to say thanks for having me on the podcast today and I'm really excited to talk about my research, which was essentially focused on improving event-based design plant estimation in South Africa, focused on improving event-based design flat estimation in South Africa. But before that, what actually drew me to agricultural engineering was its interdisciplinary nature. So I've always cared about the environment and this field combined science and engineering with the water and earth resources. So for me it was a perfect fit and throughout my studies I've realized the crucial role that agricultural engineers play, from insurance, food and security in the water sector to mitigating climate risks. So I think, in terms of my area of specialization, I particularly enjoyed hydrology and the different aspects that come into play when doing hydrological modeling and the different aspects that come into play when doing hydrological modeling. So you have to understand the physical earth systems as well as the complicated maths and statistics. So for me it was a no brainer.

Dr U Maharaj:

I just just to speak a little bit about my life now. I'm currently an engineer at Ground Troop, which is a science and engineering consulting company, but we also have a very strong focus on interdisciplinary work and the environment and I closely work with engineers and scientists from the four main divisions, which are rivers, wetlands, biodiversity and engineering. So I'm very fortunate enough to be able to work with other agricultural engineers and be able to implement and put the knowledge into practice now while I'm working. And I think it's also important to highlight that. You know there are direct links between what we studied at university and what I'm seeing in the working world.

Demian Mukansi:

Thank you, man. I think one of the things that we appreciate definitely as a country, you know is the need for proper research so that practitioners can take the right decisions out there in industry. You recently graduated the PhD in agricultural engineering. Can you please take us through your PhD study, so what the topic was, what the study aimed to address, which methods did you employ and the main findings from your study?

Dr U Maharaj:

So I'll first give a layman or a simple term explanation of the study. So, in essence, what we looked at doing was improving the accuracy of flood predictions when using a model called the SES curve number model, which is a common tool used in South Africa and internationally. And what we did in my PhD was develop a framework to understand the inherent uncertainty in the outputs from this model, and this was important because it allows us to get a better account for potential variations in flood events. So, for some background, my postgraduate research was on design flood estimation. For some background, my postgraduate research was on design flood estimation, which essentially associates the magnitude of a flood to a level of risk. So design flood estimation is important because we use rainfall to estimate floods in South Africa. It's a very common practice because of the lack of observed streamflow data, and my PhD was titled the improved performance and uncertainty estimation in design flood estimation models used in South Africa, using the SES curve number model as a case study.

Dr U Maharaj:

So I think I gave some background now.

Dr U Maharaj:

So even if you're not a hydrological expert, you should understand a little bit more about the study.

Dr U Maharaj:

And in terms of the aims, the aims of the research were firstly to assess and improve the performance of the SES curve number model for design flat estimation in South Africa, and the second aim was to concurrently develop a framework for uncertainty estimation of event-based design flat estimation models. To achieve this, and while I was performing the study, I essentially had to use a range of different methods, from delineating catchments to cleaning hydrological data, running event and continuous simulation models, as well as a broad range of statistical tools and tests, and these have been very important because I realized that these techniques are regularly applied in different spaces, and the key findings from my study was that it is better to parametrize hydrological models using local observed data so data for your catchment of interest and that it is also better to use a stochastic model to get a better understanding of the uncertainty of model outputs, because, in essence, what we did was run a model thousands of times instead of one single time, and we got a broad range of answers that will most likely be more representative than a single value.

Demian Mukansi:

Thank, you for that. I mean, I'm quite sure that you know some of our listeners are wondering how can your research contribute to addressing water challenges in South Africa and globally? What's your take on this?

Dr U Maharaj:

I think that's a very interesting question and we're fortunate well, not fortunate, but we're recording this podcast in a time where there's quite a few floods happening at the moment.

Dr U Maharaj:

So in the past, flood events were not very common, but this year, for example, there have been floods throughout the world.

Dr U Maharaj:

So in Afghanistan, germany, south Africa, in KZN, we had the Margate floods at the start of the year and last week there were floods in Cape Town, bangladesh, the United States of America and India. And I think my research is significant because of the decline in monitoring stations and the increase in reliance on social media, which can sometimes raise questions about scientific data. So the findings from my study can help us quantify the uncertainty in flood predictions, which make them more reliable, and the framework that we developed for uncertainty quantification can be applied to improve other flood estimation models. So not only the model that we used, and one of the more exciting aspects of my research is the practical application, because more accurate flood estimation models can help us design sturdier bridges, better roads and particularly in flood prone areas, and this translates to safer infrastructure and reduce risks during floods. And I think, in general, these models can be used to create more precise floodplain maps which, in essence, inform your land use decisions and can also help communities prepare for potential flooding in the future.

Demian Mukansi:

And, as you roughly say, dr Maharaj, not just only as it relates to flooding, but, I'm sure, for various governments internationally that are out there, one always wants to ensure that they're not over-designing, they're not over-spending, and so, you know, these accurate estimation of design floods is quite crucial to prevent also things such as overdesigns of your hydrolytic structures and agricultural engineers. They tend to work in a very interdisciplinary setup. How has collaboration played a role in your research and how has it enriched your work?

Dr U Maharaj:

I think, damien, firstly, I must agree with you that these sort of tools that we use can help us reduce the over and under design, and I think obviously with under design. If you reduce that, it's good because you can reduce significant cost implications associated with disasters. And the over design is also linked to significant cost impacts. And I think, as you rightly said, that we do work in interdisciplinary teams. So to understand those cost implications, you find yourself working with economists and a range of different people and, at its core, agricultural engineering is all about teamwork. So, for example, during my master's study, I primarily collaborated with hydrologists and even in our undergraduate training we were equipped to work effectively in interdisciplinary teams.

Dr U Maharaj:

So I think now, while I'm at ground, truth. Earlier on I spoke about the different teams that we worked with, but I work with civil engineers, ecologists, geologists and a range of different people. But the training that we receive as agricultural engineers allows me to tackle these complex problems from a different perspective and together with diverse teams. So, for instance, I worked on a project for the International Water Management Institute and we collaborated with scientists and engineers from various institutions and backgrounds and different countries. But I was able to apply hydraulic modeling techniques and perform habitat analysis and also data analysis from drones and able to communicate that to these different people, because I had a good understanding of how we need to work together with different people and understand their perspective and then communicate effectively to the different people.

Dr U Maharaj:

Because I think there's a common misconception that engineers like to work in silos and we have a very rigid way of thinking and you come in.

Dr U Maharaj:

It's common to hear people say that engineers don't play well with others and we generally only like to work with engineers, but I think that's what it is.

Dr U Maharaj:

It is a misconception because I found that, especially with the challenges we face so, for example, with climate change.

Dr U Maharaj:

Engineers are not experts at climate change, but when you're doing designs and doing work, you have to incorporate that into your thinking, because climate change poses a significant threat to water resources and agricultural production, and I think agricultural engineers are at the forefront of developing solutions to mitigate these challenges.

Dr U Maharaj:

But we have to work with other people to mitigate these challenges and design good solutions so we can design water harvesting systems to capture rainwater to help during drought, and we can also help to develop and promote sustainable land management practices that minimize soil erosion and promote water retention. But the only way that we can do it successfully is by working with other disciplines and I think, with that being said, most of the agricultural engineers that I met and that I interact with do work with other people, and I think that's one of the important things that we take away from our training our undergraduate training is that it is an interdisciplinary field, and I think now we're also moving into that transdisciplinary sort of thinking, so where you're not just interacting with other disciplines, but you're coming together and you're co-creating solutions. So, yeah, damien, you brought up a very good point and I think it's good that we can speak about that now.

Demian Mukansi:

Yeah, this whole thing of working with other disciplines. It's quite important and I sometimes feel like that's one thing that our listeners should have at the back of their mind that our designs are solely meant for people, and people interact with the environment in various ways. So I think it's one of those crucial and most important parts about a design. And I'm sure, dr Maharaj, what's your view on this whole concept of designing solutions that are people-centered? Because at the end of the day, you know if you're designing a stormwater to deal with flooding, the stormwater still needs to be managed. So what's your take, you know, on having the end user when one is making a design?

Dr U Maharaj:

I think that's a very important way to look at design. So human-centered design is very important, because there's been cases where you see somebody comes up with a bright idea and they develop the solution and they think it would work. And when you go out there and you speak to the communities, they they're not very open to it because it doesn't fit in with their lifestyle, it doesn't fit in with their cultural practices. So something that I've recently started learning about with dr mark graham and dr jim taylor at Ground Truth is the concept of citizen science and learning labs and co-creating solutions. So whenever we go out and we work in a project, we always think about the people and how they would take whatever we propose into them and whether it would be integrated into their lives.

Dr U Maharaj:

And I think, damien, even when doing my PhD, it's something we had to consider, because the SES curve number model is a popular model that people use. But if we went in there and we changed it too much or made it too difficult to use, then the entire study would not be beneficial because practitioners and researchers would not be open to it. So I think, wherever you are, if you're in academia, if you're in industry, you need to consider people, and you need to consider who you're designing something for or who's going to use the product, and I think that's when you can make an impact, a positive impact.

Demian Mukansi:

The whole designs which are orientated to people is just probably one of the challenges that your research needed to consider. I mean, in every hydrological conference that I've attended, there's always a pending issue the issue of data and, if that data is available, the reliability of that data. You know what are some of the challenges that you can highlight that you faced in your PhD studies and how did you overcome them.

Dr U Maharaj:

Yeah, so in the hydrology sector, the issue of data quality and quantity it runs very deeply and I think it's a problem that a lot of the students postgraduate students particularly face, and it's due to the decline in the monitoring network, but also just access to data. But I think there is some positives. So the more efficient data, so using satellites and drones, people are able to collect data near real time. And then there's also citizen science data as well. So I haven't seen it in South Africa, but I've seen in other countries that people now collect rainfall data and that's used.

Dr U Maharaj:

Of the key challenges was obviously data quality and quantity. But you know, I started I actually registered for my PhD when it was the COVID-19 pandemic and then went through the 2022 KZN floods and the social unrest that we also had in KZN. But despite all of these challenges, I was fortunate enough to have incredible support from Prof Jeff Smithers and the entire Centre for Water Resources Research at UKZN and later on, when I was finishing up my PhD, also with the Ground Truth team. But apart from that, it's just the support from colleagues at UKZN. While you are there, you know people are always asking you how you're doing and where about you are with your research and I think it's that sort of motivation that keeps you going. And then, on a personal side, obviously family support helped me get through some of the challenges, you know.

Dr U Maharaj:

Obviously most of it was not linked to the research directly. So COVID-19, floods, the social unrest, and all of that was not directly linked to the research. But what I took away from it is that having a supportive environment makes a very huge difference when you're doing your postgraduate research and, along with the strong foundation I received during my undergraduate studies, also helped me focus my research skills much better. So the graduate attributes that you get as an undergraduate student at UKZN are very strong and it really truly helped me to handle the demands of research. So I know when you're in the research space you hear a lot about PhD students facing burnout and they're struggling. And I know, damien, you're also currently working on your PhD, so you're probably familiar with these type of terms. You know where people it's almost taboo to ask a PhD student how are they doing and when they're going to finish but I think with the support and training that we got, that was key to me finishing despite all of the other challenges.

Demian Mukansi:

Despite those challenges that you raise in your PhD studies, one can see that there's really some memories that you developed in UKL10 with other team members, other staff members. What are some of the memorable experiences from your time as a PhD student?

Dr U Maharaj:

My PhD journey was filled with many great moments. So, for example, I served as the chair of the Hydratus Club, which is a postgraduate student club at the center for water resources research, and I also got the opportunity to tutor and lecture many undergraduate modules and I really enjoyed learning from the perspective of undergraduate students, and I was also fortunate enough to see how these students transitioned back from studying and learning online to going back to in-person learning. And then, apart from that, I was also fortunate enough to present my research at conferences and workshops throughout South Africa and also internationally, so that was another highlight for me. So I had the privilege of interacting with renowned hydrological experts like Prof Richard Hawkins, prof Roland Schulze, prof Keith Bevan, prof Victor Pons, and at the international conference that I attended, I had the opportunity to go to Berlin and present my work at the IUGG conference in 2023. And, yeah, I think just being able to go out there and deliver presentations it helped me build my character.

Dr U Maharaj:

So personal professional development was also something that was a big highlight for me, and these experiences also helped me realize that the future of agricultural engineering is brimming with exciting possibilities. Brimming with exciting possibilities Because you know when you go out there and you see that there's big data and machine learning and it's actually revolutionizing the field of both hydrology and agricultural engineering. We are now able to analyze vast data sets on weather patterns, soil moisture, crop health and techniques to optimize irrigation practices and improve water use efficiency. So I think just being out there and being a sponge, like Prof Smithers says, was a highlight for me as well, just to see where agricultural engineering is going and what the future holds for the fraternity.

Demian Mukansi:

You know, Dr Maharaj, we have decided to come up with this podcast, you know, to share more about agricultural engineering. But even despite that, I think one of the aims of the broadcast is to share more about agricultural engineering. But even despite that, I think one of the aims of the broadcast is to share knowledge, because if knowledge is not available, so knowledge is acquired but not made available, that knowledge is not useful knowledge. So I'm sure you spent good X amount of time doing your PhD studies. You know how do you plan to disseminate your research and if already, by this time, there is work that you've already disseminated, where can, which platforms did you disseminate the knowledge in, and how can our listeners get hold of this very valuable information that you spent a good amount of time doing your research on?

Dr U Maharaj:

Yeah, I agree with you.

Dr U Maharaj:

I think it doesn't make sense to do research and have it kept on a desktop or printed and kept on a shelf in the library. And globally we've seen the trends move towards open source code and open data. So I've published some of my research findings in the Sandcold conference proceedings. My theses are available on the UKZN research space, and then I also have papers from my PhD in press with the Hydrological Sciences Journal. But listeners can also feel free to reach out to me directly via email or LinkedIn if they'd like more information. And in general, just in terms of sharing information and tools, there's an exciting project happening at the moment which comes from the National Flat Studies Program, which was funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, and we actually build in tools based on all of the effort and research that went into updating the design cloud estimation models in South Africa. So soon there will be a set of open source tools going out to use some of the new event based models and there'll also be a user guide going out along with those tools.

Dr U Maharaj:

So I think that's also something exciting, because we're transforming research products that can be used in industry.

Demian Mukansi:

I also saw you on LinkedIn. I think there should have been a webinar or a seminar that you hosted where you were sharing some of work related to your studies. Can you take us through that as well?

Dr U Maharaj:

Yeah, so I was fortunate enough to be invited by the British Hydrological Society to do a presentation on my PhD research earlier this year. So that was quite interesting for me because they're obviously a big international organization and it was. I got quite some good feedback from there, and it was also good to hear that the work that we're doing in South Africa can keep up to the international level and we're doing work that's relevant not only in South Africa but also internationally. So that webinar is also recorded and it's on the BHS website as well, if needed.

Demian Mukansi:

You also spoke about. At some point you were in Benin attending an international conference, and I'm sure there's a listener who is young, still in high school, hearing that, oh my word, this guy just went overseas to present. Take us through your experience. How did you find Benin, and was this your first time out of the country, or was this something that you used to just take us through that it was?

Dr U Maharaj:

my first time going to Berlin, so going to Germany was quite exciting. And being in Europe interacting with people when you're a student you read names on textbooks and you read papers and you always see these names. So for me going out there, I think for me I was a bit starstruck. So getting to see all of these international researchers basically superstars of hydrology and getting to talk to them and them coming up to us and asking us questions about the work we're doing, and that was a very exciting experience for me. And I think that came along with, obviously, doing the PhD and there's a lot that goes into getting accepted to present at an international conference, but I think it was worth it and just being there personally I grew quite a bit because you get to see different cultures and how the people operate, but also professionally, you can see how the different research institutes from other countries operate. So people from first world countries to third world countries and the things that they go through just to be out there. That was quite inspiring for me to see.

Demian Mukansi:

What's your advice for a learner who wants to pursue a career in agricultural engineering, or somebody that's already in the university space, maybe studying agricultural engineering or hydrology, thinking about specializing in hydrological related studies? What's your advice for them?

Dr U Maharaj:

So, damian, I'll try and be a bit unbiased here, but I'm sure you know, agricultural engineers are very passionate and we punt very strongly for our field. But I think, for students that are interested in agricultural engineering, and especially those considering specializing in the area of hydrology, I think the most important quality that they need to have is being passionate and resilient, because we, as I said earlier, agricultural engineers, are on the forefront of some very pressing challenges. So food security, water security, agriculture and I think if you're passionate about agriculture, water and the land and water connection, as well as energy, you know then being an agricultural engineer is a great choice. And then, obviously, specializing in hydrology that's an option and I think for me I focused on hydrological modeling, but there are also other exciting areas that you can specialize in in the water industry. So, for example, you've got groundwater, you've got water quality and I've seen social hydrology is picking up currently. So I think that field basically specializes and in exploring the social aspects of water management.

Dr U Maharaj:

So I think agricultural engineering and water engineering are constantly evolving and you know, now that I've been in the consulting world for a year, I've seen that at Ground Truth there's citizen science, which is very strong, and it's also linked to water and you know, know, you can learn about the state of rivers and water quality and all of that, which is quite important, and I think it's something that you wouldn't think about if you are studying agricultural engineering, when you're doing maths and physics, and you wonder what's actually happening. So I think, if you're first year students, a second year student, you have to be passionate and resilient and continue. And I think, even if you are a graduate, you you have to be passionate and resilient and continue. And I think, even if you are a graduate, you have to still be passionate and resilient and push through and get to what you want to do and what you want to enjoy.

Dr U Maharaj:

And when you speak about my area of specialty, I think there's a lot of water challenges in South Africa, but with that there's a lot of opportunities as well. So I think it's common knowledge that we face several challenges, including water scarcity, aging infrastructure and pollution, but I think, with all of these challenges is opportunities for agricultural engineers, because we play a very crucial role in developing and designing water systems and also implementing innovative, innovative solutions to overcome these challenges. And I think, just to speak on a few things, there's growing focus on wastewater treatment, rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, nature-based solutions, and I think those are the areas where agricultural engineers can offer valuable expertise in the future. So, if you're a young student, if you're still in school and if you're listening to this, I think it's a great field to be in and it's evolving all the time and, yeah, it's a great choice. So, personally, if I had to go back, I wouldn't pick any other degree. That should sum it up quite nicely.

Demian Mukansi:

I'm a listener and you know I'm young I'm still very much in high school but I've been hearing you say a lot about citizen science. What is citizen science, and do I have to wait really to finish my trick to participate in citizen science?

Dr U Maharaj:

Yeah, that's actually a good question, and while sitting here and talking to you, I'm looking up at one of the pictures on the wall here at Goundworth and it's a picture of a little kid. He must be about four or five years old and he's doing a mini SAS assessment. So mini SAS is basically a citizen science tool that is used to monitor water quality in rivers and streams. So you don't need to finish school, you don't need to have a degree, you don't need to be a fixed age.

Dr U Maharaj:

Citizen science puts the tools into the hands of the people and I've seen the benefit where you can collect real time data, and it's not only about water quality.

Dr U Maharaj:

So when we had the floods in KZN a few years back, citizen science came in very strongly because there's people that have early warning systems.

Dr U Maharaj:

So they were able to save their community because of these citizen science tools, and I think it's growing very quickly and putting the power of knowledge into the people. That's where the true beauty of engineering and science lies, because there's not enough engineers and scientists out there to fix all of the problems, but when you equip citizen scientists to do the work, there's papers published on it where you can see that you actually get valuable, good quality, quantitative and qualitative data that can be used to make important decisions, and I think it's good to see in KZN and in South Africa that it's picking up momentum. So Ground Truth works closely with the EnviroChamps and Amgeni Water and a whole range of different institutions DACT, for example and there's a range of citizen scientists out there and I think if you're interested in it, damian, you can go on the Manisya's website and you'll see. All of those data points are collected by ordinary people, not experts in the field.

Demian Mukansi:

I think, yeah, that's a bit informative and I think it's something that our listeners can take to say they too can participate in shaping the modern day society with science. How can people reach you if they have questions about what you do or if they have a need for collaboration purposes?

Dr U Maharaj:

yeah, so I think the easiest way to connect with me would be via linkedin. So my profile is my name, so yudav maharaj, and I'm getting quite active on linkedin. So if you connect with me, you can drop me a message and, if needed, we can exchange email addresses or cell phone numbers and I can answer any questions you have, and maybe I can also ask you questions and we can work together. And if you're interested in potential collaborations, yeah, you can also reach out via LinkedIn and I'll definitely respond to you. Damian, like you said earlier on as well, it's an interdisciplinary nature of work that agricultural engineers do. That's quite exciting. So I think, even if you aren't an agricultural engineer and you stumble across this podcast, feel free to reach out. If you're a student and you're thinking about agricultural engineering, you can also drop a message on LinkedIn and I'll be happy to answer any questions.

Demian Mukansi:

Well, thank you very much, Dr Maharaj. I think one thing I can emphasize is, you know, together with our listeners, we're not done with you. There are several other things that you talk to, such as the amount of work that you have been doing at Ground Truth, and I think you know, beyond your research, that's one space that we would like to tap into to hear what exactly it is that you've been doing on a day-to-day basis. So please, when we reach out again, please do join us. But I don't know if you have any last words for our listeners, but from from myself, thank you very much for for your time.

Dr U Maharaj:

I think. Damian, I'd like to thank you for hosting this podcast and working with saiyan, the royal academy of engineering, because I think it's a great initiative to put this, the work, out there, and I yeah, anytime you you feel like you want to have a chat with me, feel free to send a message or email and I'll definitely hop on because, as you know, and even when you and I meet or you meet any other agricultural engineer, the conversation just flows and we can, because of how diverse the field is. We can chat about anything from growing food to water, to climate, to energy, to sustainable energy.

Dr U Maharaj:

So I think, yeah, whenever you you feel like you want to have a chat with me, feel free to reach out to me. But again, thank you for having me on here and I think this podcast is a great initiative and I hope it inspires quite a few people and builds the field of agricultural engineering and makes it even stronger in South Africa.

Demian Mukansi:

Well, that was it from Dr Maharaj, who gave us an overview of the role of agricultural engineers in research. Thank you for tuning into the Agricultural Engineering Podcast. We appreciate your support. Don't forget to review and rate the podcast and share it with family, friends and colleagues. More information can be found in the description box. We're looking forward to connecting with you in the next episode. For now, stay safe and goodbye.