Kim Kieser

Kim Kieser is restoring urban river systems in South Africa in a comprehensive strategy that addresses the causes of river pollution and employs measures to ensure the socioeconomic sustainability of her initiative.

Kim is developing a model for the cleanup and rehabilitation of urban rivers in South Africa in a comprehensive approach unlike other initiatives. Her project actively engages communities in clean river management, lobbies for an enabling legislative framework, and is underpinned by a series of socioeconomic, sustainability strategies.
To champion this work she has created an organization called Save Our Universal Land (SOUL) Foundation. In its pilot project–the cleanup of a stretch of the notoriously polluted Juskei River in Johannesburg–SOUL exceeded its initial target of 27 kilometers by 79 percent over a three-month period, created employment for over 100 people, and established a permanent maintenance crew.

Urban river systems in South Africa are heavily polluted as a result of industry and domestic use. River sections that run alongside poverty riddled communities are especially dirty. Heaps of house rubbish, tires, unused construction materials, and in some instances, human remains, are often found in rivers. Kim observed that river pollution was more abundant in disadvantaged communities for several reasons. First, irregular payment for city council services produces sporadic collection of waste, and second, in other squatter settlements that do not receive state-sponsored social services like waste collection, available open spaces become dump sites. In informal discussions with residents, Kim also noticed that while some were aware of the consequences of throwing waste into rivers, the myth existed that the rubbish would be washed away.
The social and environmental impacts of polluted rivers are myriad. Domestic use of such water causes illness and in extreme cases, death. The ecological balance is damaged as aquatic organisms that reside in rivers, lakes, and oceans where the rivers empty are killed by the toxic waste. In some areas where the rubbish was especially concentrated, Kim noticed that water flow had either completely halted or was barely moving, resulting in what she refers to as "dead rivers." In poor communities, Kim observed that in addition to the health and safety hazards posed by polluted rivers, living in such an unhealthy environment had a negative impact on the psychological mindset of inhabitants.
In an effort to reverse the deterioration of the health of river systems, neighborhood associations, faith-based groups, and the government have launched a series of cleanup initiatives. However, these efforts have not had significant impact. Neighborhood cleanup campaigns and other civic efforts, while worthwhile, are almost always limited to specific areas and are not forward looking enough to ensure that rivers remain clean. Similarly, Kim observed that government efforts in several communities are subject to the countervailing pressures of mismanagement, corruption, and simple inertia. In particular, Kim noted a significant gap between national policies, legislation, and other river management plans designed at senior government level and implementation by local government. In assessing what is considered to be one of the most comprehensive and broadly consultative National Water Acts of 1998, a group of local and international experts identified "a lack of capacity for the actual implementation of the requirements" as a significant stumbling block in environmental progress.

Kim's river cleanup and management strategy is first to conduct "market research" in order to determine causes of river pollution in a given area and then second, jointly with concerned communities, to develop appropriate interventions. Kim has observed that very little, if any, research of this nature is carried out in impoverished communities.
Her second strategy involves putting into place aesthetic and economic incentives to help generate community buy-in. Kim argues that this is one of the most important features of her work in poor communities, as she has observed that in an environment of abject poverty, hope for a different reality is almost nonexistent. A radically transformed river that becomes accessible and useable for recreational activities not only becomes a symbol for the possible, but also engenders a reluctance to pollute.
Kim also realizes that cleanup efforts have to provide more tangible benefits like revenue sources and personal developmental opportunities. In this regard the foundation makes every effort to employ cleaners from concerned communities and so develop environmental leaders through grassroots training and skills development on-site. In addition, recycling buy-back centers where residents can sell such items as cans, plastics, and paper to recycling companies are established, ensuring that these items do not end up in the rivers. In addition to environmental education and clean up efforts, the organization also offers basic life-skills training to the general community, including workshops on HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, and human rights.
The third strategy is educating all "polluters"–whether they be communities or industry–about the impact of such practices. The Foundation has also developed a dynamic Awareness Road Show to showcase in schools, shopping centers, and corporate gatherings that, in addition to antipollution messages, provides employment and exposure to budding artists and entertainers.
In recognition that lack of sustainability is one of the greatest shortcomings for other community-driven, river cleanup efforts, Kim has put into place features that ensure the longevity of her initiatives. After the initial cleaning, a community team is charged with ongoing management of the river–from simple cleanup to running educational campaigns. These efforts are made possible by a financial sustainability strategy–the River Adoption Initiative–that is aimed at raising funds through local communities, businesses, and landowners who adopt sections of a river on a contractual basis.
Underpinning all of these aforementioned efforts is the necessary strategy of applying pressure to national and local government structures to adhere to their constitutional and legislative obligations pertaining to river health and waste management services. There have been some notable successes in these regards, like a large capital injection by the National Department of Environment and Tourism and an agreement with the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Land Care to manage riverbank stability jointly.
In the long run, Kim aims to establish a river health management model that can be used throughout South Africa and elsewhere in the world. Since she perceives river management as a joint responsibility between civic groups and government, she is exploring the possibility of initiating partnerships with the Ministries of Health, Environmental Affairs and Tourism and Water Affairs and Forestry to clean up all waterways in South Africa. Kim asserts that partnerships integrating relevant local government departments and utilities add to the impact of the river health model without relying on them for success. However, while government structures are important allies, Kim emphasizes that key partnerships are with educators, recyclers, relevant experts, scientists, business, and affected communities.

A self-starter and a successful business entrepreneur, Kim is also an avid outdoor fan. She believes she can make an impact on apartheid-induced income disparities and environmental degradation through her ventures. The catalyst that created the SOUL Foundation was a newspaper report about a murdered woman's body found dumped on a garbage heap. Upon reading this, Kim knew she had to use her expertise in management and innovative strategic thinking to create an initiative that would inspire change. Kim and the SOUL Foundation have received numerous awards including the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature award, the Green Trust Award for "Investing in the Environment," and the Professional Management Review (PMR) emPower award.