Building human capacity for 4IR-enabled innovations aims to promote sustainability in South Africa's Water, Energy, and Food Nexus. With the increasing pressure placed on water, energy and food resources due to population expansion and climate change, the transformative potentials of 4IR technologies can be leveraged to offer innovative solutions for enhancing these resources' efficiency, sustainability, and resilience.
The research also aims to examine the role of 4IR technologies and requisite skills in advancing the WEF Nexus, emphasizing the moderating role of stakeholders in their implementation. It also uncovers the challenges hindering the adoption of 4IR solutions within the WEF Nexus and investigates how higher education institutions can play a transformative role in equipping individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to harness these technologies. The research also identifies strategic approaches for the successful integration of 4IR technologies and evaluates their social, economic, and environmental impacts on the WEF Nexus.
The key deliverable of this research is the development of a multi-level human capacity framework that supports the integration of 4IR technologies into the WEF Nexus. This study bridges the 4IR skills gap and contributes to South Africa's efforts to achieve resource security and promote sustainable development."
