Southern Waters

What Southern Waters does

Southern Waters Ecological Research and Consulting is a privately held environmental consulting firm headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, operating since the mid-1990s. The firm specializes in managed and integrated assessments of aquatic ecosystems — rivers, lakes, wetlands, and estuaries — with a core focus on environmental flow (EFlows) determinations that quantify how much water must remain in a system to sustain ecological and social functions under competing development pressures. Its principal client base comprises government water agencies, multilateral development finance institutions (World Bank, Asian Development Bank, IFC, GIZ), research bodies (notably the South African Water Research Commission), and transboundary basin organizations including the Mekong River Commission and ZAMCOM. The firm has executed work across southern Africa and internationally in South Asia, Southeast Asia, East and West Africa, and South America, with projects documented on three continents.

The firm's core technology is DRIFT (Downstream Response to Imposed Flow Transformations), an internationally recognized EFlows decision support system developed over more than 20 years and first formalized through Instream Flow Requirements work on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. DRIFT synthesizes field data, peer-reviewed literature, expert elicitation, and local stakeholder knowledge into scenario-based predictions of ecosystem response to water-management interventions, and uniquely integrates ecological, social, and socio-economic considerations within a single framework. A related output — the Generic DRIFT Response Curves Library produced through the Water Research Commission's Africa's Living Rivers Programme — extends DRIFT's applicability across SADC rivers and estuaries. The firm also conducts hydropower environmental and social impact assessments, reserve determinations, and basin-wide transboundary flow studies, often collaborating with international engineering consultancies such as ARTELIA and Hagler Baildy Pakistan.

Southern Waters generates revenue through professional services engagements awarded via competitive tender or direct commission by government agencies and development institutions. DRIFT itself is offered free to use, with revenue derived from associated consulting projects, training, capacity-building programs, and funded research contracts. The core team consists of approximately nine named specialists — including multiple PhD-level freshwater ecologists, a fluvial geomorphologist, and a decision-analysis specialist — supported by an international specialist network and supervised graduate students at Stellenbosch and the University of the Western Cape. Marketing and pipeline development rest heavily on academic publication, conference participation, training delivery, and reputational referrals from long-standing DFI and government relationships rather than traditional commercial channels.

Name

Southern Waters

Legal name

Southern Waters Ecological Research and Consulting

Website

https://southernwaters.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southern Waters is a Cape Town-based environmental consulting firm specializing in environmental flow assessments for rivers, wetlands, and estuaries, anchored by the proprietary DRIFT decision support system and serving government agencies, development banks, and basin organizations across 20+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAHAKAF

Water Quality & Watershed/Hydrologic Modeling (SWMM/HEC-RAS, Flood/Runoff/Nutrient)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Environmental Data Management, Modeling & GIS/Remote Sensing

SECONDARYBPAHAJAJ

Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Consulting

Keywords

• Environmental consulting services
• Aquatic ecosystem assessment
• Environmental flow assessment
• Water resource management
• Hydropower environmental impact

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Environmental Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for aquatic ecosystem assessment, environmental flow assessments, and integrated water resource management. Revenue generated through project-based contracts with government agencies, development banks, and international organizations.
2. DRIFT Software and Training: DRIFT decision support system is free to use, with revenue derived from associated consulting projects, training, and capacity building engagements.
3. Research and Development Contracts: Funded research projects through Water Research Commission and international development partners, producing publications, methodologies, and software tools.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Southern Waters delivers specialist environmental consulting for aquatic ecosystems — rivers, wetlands, lakes and estuaries — with the DRIFT (Downstream Response to Imposed Flow Transformations) decision support system at its core. Services include environmental flow assessments, instream flow requirement studies, integrated river basin assessments, hydropower environmental and social impact assessments, training, and research. Engagements are commissioned by government water agencies, multilateral development banks, transboundary river basin organizations, and research institutions across southern Africa, Asia, and other regions.

Product overview

Southern Waters provides specialist ecological research and consulting services focused on aquatic ecosystem assessment, particularly for rivers, lakes, wetlands and estuaries. Their core offering is the DRIFT (Downstream Response to Imposed Flow Transformations) decision support system - a software model developed over 20 years that enables environmental flow assessments. DRIFT is free to use and has been applied in over 50 projects across 20 countries on 3 continents. The company offers integrated assessments combining ecological, social, and economic analyses to guide sustainable water resource management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DRIFT (Downstream Response to Imposed Flow Transformations) Decision Support System Internationally recognised Environmental Flows (EFlows) decision support system and software model developed by Southern Waters over 20 years. Provides detailed and transparent predictions of how ecosystems will change under different water development scenarios or other management influences, synthesising data, global literature, expert opinion and local knowledge. Made freely available; used in over 50 projects across 20 countries on 3 continents for government water agencies, development banks, and basin organisations.
• Environmental Flow (EFlows) Assessment Consulting Specialist professional consulting services for determining environmental flows of rivers, wetlands, lakes and estuaries. Includes instream flow requirement determinations, reserve determinations, Resource Quality Objectives, hydropower environmental and social impact assessments, and integrated river basin assessments. Delivered to government water agencies, multilateral development banks (World Bank, ADB, IFC, GIZ), transboundary basin commissions, and conservation organisations across southern Africa, Asia, and other regions.
• Training and Capacity Building in Environmental Flows Structured training courses and capacity building programmes on environmental flow methodologies and the DRIFT decision support system, delivered to government staff, basin organisation personnel, and international partner organisations. Includes courses for IUCN/World Bank in Tanzania and SIDA transboundary training initiatives in Swaziland.

Quantifiable outcome

• DRIFT used in over 50 projects across 20 countries on 3 continents
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• ARTELIAmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ARTELIA and Southern Waters collaborated on High Resolution Environmental Flows Assessment for the St Paul River in Liberia (St Paul II Hydropower Plant). Southern Waters provided DRIFT-based ecological assessment expertise.
• Asian Development BankmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Multiple engagements including review of safeguard policies for EFlows standards, Dudhkoshi HPP assessment, and ongoing technical assistance. ADB provides project funding while Southern Waters delivers environmental flow expertise.
• Water Research Commission (South Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Longstanding partnership spanning multiple decades. WRC has funded development of DRIFT, generic relationship libraries (Africa's Living Rivers Programme), and numerous research reports. Core institutional partner.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019GIZ commissioned Southern Waters for Comprehensive EFlows Assessment for the Lower Kafue Sub-Catchment in Zambia (Project 18.2099.2-004.00). Ongoing relationship across multiple SADC water projects.
• World Bank GroupmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018Southern Waters contributed to the World Bank Group's Good Practice Handbook: EFlows Assessments for hydropower projects (2018). Collaboration on methodologies and guidance development.
• ZAMCOM/DHImajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership for Zambezi Water Resources Information System (ZAMWIS) Enhancement. Southern Waters developed Decision Support System for integrated basin management across 8 Zambezi Basin countries.
• International Finance Corporation (IFC)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2016IFC has commissioned Southern Waters for multiple hydropower EFlows assessments including Karot, Kohala, Balakot, and Trishuli Basin projects. Provides financing-linked environmental safeguard assessments.
• Hagler Bailly PakistanmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2016Collaborated on multiple Pakistan hydropower EFlows assessments including Jhelum-Poonch Basin-wide assessments and various IFC-commissioned projects in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.
• IUCNmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Collaboration on Pangani River Basin Flow Assessment and various transboundary water management initiatives. Joint work on guidelines for environmental flows in the Western Indian Ocean region.
• Mekong River CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Multi-phase collaboration on Mekong River environmental flow assessments including Council Study, BioRA development, and Hydro Sustainability Project (SHDS2018). DRIFT-based modeling for basin-wide scenarios.
• DRIFT (Open Access)coreOthersDRIFT is free to use as an open-access decision support system. Southern Waters maintains the DRIFT methodology while making it available for environmental flow assessments globally. The DRIFT website (drift-eflows.com) provides access to the tool.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Stantec is a global engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm with water resources and ecological practices serving similar hydropower EFlows and infrastructure E&S assessment mandates.
• Arcadis: Arcadis is a global design and consultancy firm with significant water and environment capabilities, providing E&S impact assessments for hydropower and infrastructure projects financed by development banks.
• WSP: WSP (including former Golder Associates) is a global professional services consultancy with environmental and water practices that compete for development bank-funded E&S and EFlows work in Africa, Asia, and South America.
• SLR Consulting: SLR Consulting is a global environmental and advisory firm with established water and ecology practices that delivers environmental and social impact assessments for hydropower and infrastructure projects.
• Royal HaskoningDHV: Royal HaskoningDHV is a large international engineering consultancy with a substantial water and environment practice that delivers EFlows, hydropower environmental assessments, and integrated water resource management to multilateral clients globally.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): ERM is a major global environmental and social impact consultancy that delivers EFlows and hydropower safeguard assessments for development finance institutions, often competing with niche specialists like Southern Waters on large tenders.

Direct peers

• DHI (Danish Hydraulic Institute): DHI is a global water and environment modeling consultancy whose MIKE software suite is a direct competitor to Southern Waters' DRIFT for EFlows assessments. Both firms deliver hydrological and ecological modeling services to development banks and government water agencies.
• Anchor Environmental: Anchor Environmental is a Cape Town-based aquatic and coastal ecology consultancy that competes with Southern Waters on estuarine, riverine, and freshwater ecosystem assessments across southern Africa.
• Water Matters: Water Matters is a South African water resource consulting firm founded by the late Prof. Jackie King, Southern Waters' former Senior Associate. It operates in the same EFlows and freshwater ecosystem niche and serves overlapping development bank clients.

Others

• Water Research Commission (WRC): WRC is a long-standing partner and primary research funder of Southern Waters, commissioning many of its flagship projects including DRIFT development. It is an enabling ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, providing South Africa-wide research funding and oversight.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern Waters