Staff
Roger Paul Parsons M.Sc. (Rhodes), Pr.Sci.Nat.
Roger was born in East London, South Africa. After matriculating from Selborne College, he obtained his B.Sc. (Hons) degree from Rhodes University. Roger joined the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry in 1984 for whom he worked for 6 years. One of his first assignments was to investigate groundwater resources south and west of Graaff-Reinet. This exploration of fractured Karoo aquifers formed the basis of his M.Sc. thesis, which he successfully completed in 1987.
Roger was then transferred by the Department to Pretoria in 1988 and was tasked with assessing the impact of waste disposal sites on groundwater. This led to a wider interest in groundwater contamination and monitoring. On joining the Groundwater Programme of the CSIR in Stellenbosch in 1996, Roger undertook a number of waste and contamination research and consultancy projects. During this time, he developed the Waste Aquifer Separation Principle (WASP) model together with long-time friend and colleague Jeff Jolly. The model is used to assess site suitability for waste disposal based on geohydrological criteria.
In 1996 Roger established Parsons & Associates Specialist Groundwater Consultants CC. Since establishing the company, Roger has been involved in a wide range of projects. In addition to undertaking resource exploration and development projects, contamination projects and monitoring projects, Roger has been involved with the development of tools and methods to assess the groundwater component of the Reserve. This has led to a number of projects looking at the role of groundwater in sustaining river flow and wetlands. He has also undertaken a number of specialist geohydrological studies for Environmental Impact Assessments.
Roger is registered as a Professional Natural Scientist (Pr.Sci.Nat.) and is a member of the Groundwater Division, the International Association of Hydrogeologists, the National Groundwater Association, the Water Institute of South Africa and the Institute of Waste Management. He was the Chairman of the Western Cape Branch of the Groundwater Division from 2000 to 2004. Roger has had 16 articles published in Journals and presented over 50 conference papers. He has authored or co-authored over 200 consultancy and research reports and regularly participates in or presents various training courses. Roger serves on a number of Water Research Commission Steering Committees and regularly presents lectures on the topic of groundwater.
Click here to download an abridged Curriculum Vitae for Roger Parsons (PDF, 132KB).
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