Natural Sciences

CSIR researchers are exploring the synthesis, modification and composting of porous carbonaceous materials for hydrogen storage applications. Materials-based storage technologies are reported to be a promising preference for hydrogen storage, especially when using materials with attractive porosi...

CSIR researchers have been continuously monitoring and studying the effect of wastewater discharge on the marine environment in Durban. The monitoring programme has generated a wealth of information that has contributed to the understanding of how wastewater discharge affects the sea environment ...

The CSIR is working closely with the City of Johannesburg in establishing low-carbon development zones with waste to energy and renewable-energy powered mass transport systems. The City of Joburg is seeking green economy development opportunities to realise a sustainable city. This demands more t...

The CSIR-developed guide titled Steering towards a Green Economy , provides an introduction to green economy concepts, ideas and actions that will help reorient the economy to a more inclusive, resource-efficient and low-carbon development pathway. South Africa has a resource-intensive economy an...

The CSIR and Coaltech are investigating waterless methods to beneficiate coal. Coal is very important to the South African economy with almost 90% of the electricity generated in the country coming from coal-fired power stations. Coal is also required as a fuel and reductant in the metallurgical ...

The project aims to develop and enhance the CSIR’s existing geophysics capabilities to allow for an increased capability and offering in applied mining geophysics and the emerging field of hydrogeophysics. The CSIR’s geophysics capability is based on a number of versatile high-resolution imaging ...

The objective of this project is to investigate improved characterisation and dynamic monitoring of the acid mine drainage (AMD) footprint in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Area by using high-resolution geophysical imaging. The effect of AMD on surface and groundwater resources in the Cra...

This collaborative project between South Africa and China is aimed at enhancing knowledge, skills and technology for the sustainability of the mining industry. The project focuses on developing an integrated mine monitoring system for continuous monitoring of daily rockmass stability and prevaili...

The CSIR is assisting national and local government, cities and other stakeholders with urban planning strategies by making use of spatial and urban growth modelling and simulation software. A new CSIR-developed model has been used to simulate spatial growth patterns to better understand the futu...

In partnership with a range of national stakeholders, the CSIR is soon to launch the Urban Knowledge Exchange Southern Africa . The research and development of the online platform has been funded by the Department of Science and Technology. The project is steered jointly by a series of department...