Maloti DrakensbergHP

ASSOCIATES

Dr David Clark

Position:                                Honorary Research Fellow (UKZN), Crop Systems Modeller (SASRI)

Discipline:                             Agricultural Engineering

Centre:                                   Centre for Water Resources Research (CWRR)

School:                                   School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Campus:                                 Agriculture Campus

Email:                                      clarkd@ukzn.ac.za

 

Biography 

Dr Clark completed his BSc Engineering (Agriculture) degree in 1993 and then went on to complete an MSc Engineering degree in vehicle performance simulation. After graduating he was employed by the University of Natal for four years, lecturing and working on research projects in vehicle performance simulation and hydrological modelling. He spent two years consulting at Land Resources International in the field of agricultural and natural resource management. From 2004 to 2022 he worked at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, primarily on Water Research Commission funded projects related to modelling systems, integrated water resources modelling and water accounting.  He is now employed at the South African Sugarcane research Institute as a crop systems modeller.

Qualifications

PhD (Ag. Eng), University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2019

BSc Eng (Agric) – University of Natal, 1993

MSc Eng (Cum Laude) – University of Natal, 1996

South African Institute of Agricultural Engineers (SAIAE) Bronze Medal for the best final year Agricultural Engineering student in 1993, and Silver Medal for PhD in 2019

Current Research Projects

  • Water Resource Accounts for the uMngeni, Mooi and Breede Catchments as part of the Ecological Infrastructure for Water Security project. (funded by the GEF)
  • Realisation of a System for Producing Annual Water Resource Accounts on a National Scale in South Africa (funded by the WRC)
  • Development of Datasets and Tools for Multi-Scale Water Resource Assessments Towards a Water Secure South Africa (funded by the WRC)

Recently Completed Projects (2020-23)

  • Water Accounting + Phase II 2020-2022 (funded by IHE Delft)
  • Further Development and Assessment of an Integrated Water Resources Accounting Methodology for South Africa (funded by the WRC)
  • A National Assessment of Potential Climate Change Impacts on the Hydrological Yield of Different Hydro-Climatic Zones of South Africa (funded by the WRC

Five recent publications

  • Peerbhai, T., Chetty, K.T., Clark, D.J. and Gokool, S. (2022). Estimating evapotranspiration using earth observation data: A comparison between hydrological and energy balance modelling approaches. Journal of Hydrology, 613, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128347.
  • Suleman, S., Chetty, K.T., Clark, D.J. and Kapangagaziwiri, E. (2020). Assessment of satellite-derived rainfall and its use in the ACRU agro-hydrological model. Water SA, 46:4, DOI: 10.17159/wsa/2020.v46.i4.9068.
  • Clark, D.J. (Editor) (2019). Development and Assessment of an Integrated Water Resources Accounting Methodology for South Africa: Phase 2.  Water Research Commission, Pretoria, South Africa.  WRC Report No. 2512/1/19
  • Namugize, J. N., Jewitt, G. P. W., Clark, D., and Strömqvist, J. (2017). Assessment of the Hype Model for Simulation of Water and Nutrients in the Upper uMngeni River Catchment in South Africa. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussion, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2017-365, in review, 2017.
  • Shoko, C., Dube, T. and Clark, D. (2016). Total Evaporation Estimation for Accurate Water Accounting Purposes: an Appraisal of Various Available Estimation Methods. Geocarto International: 1-19.