Water scarcity and water- quality issues are broadly recognised and understood in most political, business and civil organisations in South Africa. But solving water issues will require wide and continuous action in catchments and municipalities by organisations and individuals, says Council for Scientific and Industrial Research natural resources and environment and University of Pretoria researcher Dr Peter Ashton.
“South Africa has excellent water management plans, but there have been insufficient implementation and accountability at a local level,” he says.
The complexity of South Africa’s water system, including water-transfer schemes, in which many basins can impact on the water management of other basins, means that most water management activities depend on other water management activities, making them more difficult to coordinate, explains Ashton.
To improve water quality and management, water infrastructure must be improved and expanded. Catchment management agencies must be linked and must work together to monitor and manage water quality, he states.
“In many areas, water-quality management is a simple adminis-trative issue, requiring a budget for treatment chemicals and the maintenance done on infrastructure,” Ashton highlights.
“The refurbishment and upgrading of water infrastructure must be prioritised, as the future state of water management will depend on these actions being done as soon as possible.”
South Africa must also work to secure technologies to solve the problems, either by developing them internally or using them in partnership with the country that holds the rights to the technologies, he notes.
Many factors influence the effective management of water resources in South Africa, includ- ing historical use; population growth; industrial and commercial use, such as water impacts from industrial and agricultural activities; and legacy issues, such as acid mine drainage, besides others.
“The sheer scope of influences and the significant pressure on our water resources must stir us into action. “Change is always uncomfortable, but necessary to ensure sustainability and a future where good-quality water is available,” says Unilever Centre for Environmental Water Quality at Rhodes University Institute of Water Research director Professor Tally Palmer.
While there has been a burgeoning awareness of water issues across South Africa, especially in the wake of a drought in the Eastern Cape, this awareness must be translated into action, she adds.
As the right to a healthy environment is enshrined in the Constitution, all levels of government are legally responsible for ensuring effective water-quality monitoring and management. Accountability tends to occur only at national level, reducing the effectiveness of water management initiatives.
This is despite many municipal agencies being aware of, and active in, water management, notes water use organisation Khulumani Support Group director Dr Marjorie Jobson.
“It is often a case of pockets of excellence that are disconnected from overarching water management, owing to fractured communication up the chain of authority. Many people in local settings work hard on water management, while the problem does not receive commensurate attention at the executive boards of municipalities and provinces,” she says.
All local businesses, agencies and government organisations must be held accountable for water management and water quality, which will enable better reporting and the effective implementation of national initiatives. This can be achieved by prosecuting private and public offenders, Ashton concludes.