Water Research Planning in South Africa

Abstract

This paper describes a method for identifying research needs and obtaining priorities for them. The overall method consists of two parts. The first is concerned purely with the identification of research needs without regard to their relative importances or urgencies. The second part is devoted to obtaining priorities for the identified needs via the Analytic Hierarchy Process. A case study is presented in which this method was used to develop a Master Plan for Research in surface hydrology and surface water resources for South Africa.