Yonela Mkunyana is a South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) postdoctoral research fellow in the Environment and Health Research Unit (EHRU) and holds a PhD in Environmental and Water Science that she obtained from the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Her dissertation focused on quantifying water salvages (benefits) achieved by clearing/removing invasive alien species from heavily invaded and water-limited environments. In conjunction with her PhD studies, Yonela was involved in numerous environmental projects with the Water Research Commission (WRC) and Institute for Water Studies (IWS, at UWC) actively working as a research assistant. She was involved in coordinating fieldwork for routine hydro-meteorological monitoring, data collection, and made contributions to projects deliverables – and associated tasks. Yonela’s research interest and aim is to continue conducting innovative research and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to advance her understanding of water resource management (both quantity and quality), especially in countries with limited water resources. Similarly, Yonela aims to contribute valuably to the EHRU Water, Sanitation and Society Research Programme, through exploring environmental (water) surveillance, as well as identify hazards and manage risks associated with contamination of urban and rural water sources.