The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center, is seeking application from enthusiastic individual who is interested in contributing to the activities of the project Digital Innovations for Water Secure Africa (DIWASA), under IWMI\u2019s internship program. The internship will be based in South Africa.
Scope of internship
The DIWASA project aims to enhance the integration of data sources into LIMCOM\u2019s Digital Twin and the Limpopo Management Information System (LIMIS), ensuring accessibility to key datasets required for transboundary water management. The selected intern will work closely with IWMI\u2019s Digital Twin team and the LIMIS team, supporting the incorporation of data produced by the GEF project into LIMIS. This will facilitate structured data access and interoperability, fostering improved decision-making and knowledge-sharing across the four countries within the Limpopo River Basin.
The intern will have the opportunity to work with a group of experts who have more than 10 years of experience in the field of earth observation. The selected candidate will also collaborate with key stakeholders of the DIWASA project, including ministries, universities and research centers. The intern will become a member of the water accounting platform that brings together thousands of experts who apply earth observation to solve water challenges in Africa.
During this internship, the intern will assist in the following areas:
Collecting and compiling data from various sources, including satellite imagery, remote sensors, field surveys and government databases. Supporting data cleaning and preprocessing activities to ensure data accuracy, consistency and completeness for analysis. Integrating disparate datasets to create comprehensive datasets for analysis and modelling. Maintaining and Managing databases, including designing schemas, optimizing queries and ensuring data security and privacy compliance. Contributing to the development and maintenance of Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) pipelines to automate data workflows and processes. Collaborating with researchers to visualize data and communicate insights using tools such as Python. Documenting data engineering processes, methodologies and best practices. Working closely with interdisciplinary teams of researchers, scientists and analysts to understand their data needs and provide support as necessary. Supporting the report writing, identifying data gaps and providing recommendations for reliable data sources to be integrated into the Digital Twin. Drafting a list of FAIR data sources from LIMIS. Attending the training sessions and becoming familiar with the Water Copilot chatbot.Requirements
Undergraduates or recent graduates with a bachelor\u2019s or master\u2019s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science or a related field. Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, R or Java. Familiarity with databases and SQL. Experience with data manipulation and analysis libraries such as Pandas, NumPy or dplyr. Knowledge of data visualization tools and techniques. Excellent communication and teamwork skills. Passion for environmental sustainability and interest in water-related issues. Understanding of hydrological data and its applications in water management. Background in remote sensing, including experience with Google Earth Engine, Digital Earth Africa and Microsoft Earth is an added advantage.Benefits
IWMI will provide a monthly stipend to the selected candidate during the internship period.
The research intern will be reporting to the IWMI office in South Africa. The duration of the internship will be 6 months, with the possibility of extension for another 6 months based on performance, requirements of IWMI and the availability of funds. This is a nationally recruited internship and only citizens of South Africa are eligible to apply.
To apply, visit www.iwmi.org/jobs. Applications must be submitted by 12:00 (SAST) on April 21, 2025 (Monday).
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is an international, research-for-development organization that works with governments, civil society and the private sector to solve water problems in developing countries and scale up solutions. Through partnership, IWMI combines research on the sustainable use of water and land resources, knowledge services and products with capacity strengthening, dialogue and policy analysis to support implementation of water management solutions for agriculture, ecosystems, climate change and inclusive economic growth. Headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, IWMI is a CGIAR Research Center with offices in 15 countries and a global network of scientists operating in more than 55 countries. www.iwmi.org
IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.