The future of water in SA

Sixty per cent of the total water requirements in the country is used for farm irrigation (Picture © Mitzi du Plessis)

The world is changing . . .

The United Nations (UN) has predicted that the world’s population will increase to 8,9-billion by 2050. However, a major concern with a growing population, urbanisation, territorial conflict and increasingly concerning climate change is whether the earth’s natural resources will be able to meet the growing demands of the population.

The UN indicates that one of these natural resources, and if not the most important, is water, the use of which has grown at more than twice the rate of population growth over the last century. And, although there is no global water scarcity as such, it has been established that there are many regions in the world that are short of water.

The Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture study by the International Water Management Institute indicates that about 1,2-billion people, almost one-fifth of the world’s population, live in areas of physical scarcity, while some 500-million are approaching this situation, with almost one-quarter of the world’s population facing economic water shortage.

Of concern is that South Africa is identified as one of the countries at risk of suffering ‘acute water scarcity’.

Hitherto, South Africa’s reputation for managing this scarcity is renowned. In fact, the National Water Act (NWA) of 1998, which aims to manage, control, conserve, protect and use water in a sustainable and equitable manner, for the benefit of all people, has been hailed internationally, and significant and well-considered reforms have been made to adopt an integrated approach to water resource management to ensure poverty alleviation and growth.

Much effort has also been made in South Africa to improve access to sanitation and clean water services, with an additional 1,25-million people having received access to basic levels of water service in the 2006/7 fiscal year, and with free basic water now provided to 75% of the population of South Africa and to 68% of the country’s poor population.

However, it is accepted that the country has some way to go to achieve true water security, particularly as efforts to improve access for all citizens are meant to intensify in the years ahead.

Experts, analysts and organisations appear increasingly concerned that South Africa’s water resources, if not properly managed, will result in the country suffering from a water shortage in the future. And there is no question that the current shortages being felt in other areas of the country, relating to energy and other infrastructure, have heightened the level of anxiety.

All those canvassed agreed that while the NWA serves to protect this natural resource, with projects in the pipeline to enhance capacity, build infrastructure, provide basic services, and improve access to water, South Africa faces many challenges in ensuring itself as a water-secure country.

The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) itself has identified challenges, which include the maintenance of existing infrastructure by municipalities, the quality of drinking water, the need to improve relationships with its public entities, and the advent of South Africa’s skills shortage.

Security of supply
There is little question that, as with power, security of water supply (with regard to both access and affordability) is emerging as the main priority. South Africa’s electricity crisis is costing the country’s economy millions and while government has accepted responsibility for the crisis, the implications on growth, investment and confidence are considerable.

And, while it would be unhelpful to superimpose the energy reality onto the water milieu, it is, nevertheless, instructive to take lessons, particularly given that here, too, government policy is so important to the outlook.

The current challenges faced in the water environment are not entirely dissimilar to those in South Africa’s power sector.

DWAF has made these challenges known to all relevant stakeholders; however, concerns about implementation, and questions about whether South Africa is doing enough to ensure security of supply remain. It is also widely accepted that any water crisis on the scale of the current electricity crisis would have catastrophic consequences, not only for the quality of life of South African citizens, but also on an economy still heavily geared towards the primary water-dependent sectors of agriculture and mining.

Where do we stand?
How successful has the implementation of the NWA been thus far, and what progress is being made in reviewing the National Water Resources Strategy (NWRS) by the 2010 deadline?

Without hesitation, most observers appear to believe that DWAF has been successful in pushing forward key projects and strategies to manage South Africa’s water resources and improve water services to meet the demands of a growing population.

There is also near consensus that South Africa has enough water to meet the needs of the country for the foreseeable future. Water resources have been developed ahead of demand, and have generally been able to keep pace with the growing demands of the economy and its increasing water requirements, says Water Institute of South Africa immediate past president Marlene van der Merwe-Botha.

But she cautions that South Africa cannot afford to rest on its laurels, nor turn a blind eye to possible and probable future scenarios.

“We are living in a water-scarce country, with a small river system and many cross-border complexities in sharing our water. The vibrant economy and industrialisation are impacting on these available resources and appropriate and timely corrective measures need to be taken,” says Van der Merwe-Botha.

Issues to consider in South Africa include the fact that water-management areas face a water deficit; ecosystems and water resources are already being placed under pressure by various users in the sectors; and available water resources are being affected by decreasing water quality, which, in turn, affects net availability.

Water ‘load-shedding’ warning
Failure to manage water resources could possibly result in a future water ‘load-shedding’, Van der Merwe-Botha asserts.

She says that it could be a real possibility, if various stakeholders do not address the issue of water resources collectively and individually.

The World Wild Fund (WWF) for Nature in South Africa indicates that 98,4% of water has been allocated for use in South Africa, and that there is not much water available for any future development.

At current usage rates, it is predicted that by 2025, demand for water in South Africa will exceed supply, WWF Sanlam living waters partnership’s fresh water programme manager, Rodney February, tells Engineering News.

“Some estimates are that this will occur in 2015, taking into consideration climate change, which does not leave much room for anticipated economic growth. South Africa does not want to be in a position similar to the energy crisis, whereby economic planning has given little thought to critical natural resources, such as water, on which it is dependent,” adds February.

University of the Witwatersrand visiting adjunct professor Mike Muller argues that the performance of South Africa should be assessed against the NWRS. This should indicate whether the country is heading for possible water load-shedding.

Muller, a previous director-general at DWAF, concurs that there is currently no immediate danger of a water shortage in South Africa, but asserts that it is imperative for the country to analyse what has happened since the publication of the NWRS while there is still time to take action.

The challenges with regard to water resources must be addressed at local and regional level, considering the realities of each region, says Muller.

“One must consider whether Gauteng will have enough water supply in the future, and when new projects will be needed, whether there should be a switch to desalinated water in coastal regions, and whether the right policy decisions are being made to enable Limpopo’s fast-growing economy to be supported, given the very limited water resources available to the province,” he adds.

Don’t forget climate change
Further, climate change is going to affect water resources quite severely in Africa, and policymakers, thus, have to consider South Africa’s expectations with regard to the impact of climate change and what is being done about it, he says.

Climate change could aggravate these quality problems, he warns.

In response to climate change, Van der Merwe-Botha says that, because of South Africa’s sensitive water hydrology, general aridity and high variability of rainfall in space and time, South Africa is especially vulnerable to climate changes.

“Forward-thinking countries are preparing and positioning themselves in many ways for climate change and its impact on water security – whether social, economic or environmental. We know that such preparedness will make the difference between a water-secure country and a poverty-stricken, water-insecure country,” she says.

Deep-level mining also impacts on the quality of water, while the bucket eradication programme is now creating more water-borne sewage and of concern is whether municipalities have the ability to manage resources and money to treat water properly, says Muller.

Another challenge related to the exploitation of water is occurring in the agricultural sector. Sixty per cent of the total water requirements in the country is used for farm irrigation.

“This simply means that less water is available for other sectors, given that food security is often given higher priority when allocating water. An integrated water-resource management approach is, thus, important in facilitating the beneficial use of South Africa’s water resources,” says Van der Merwe-Botha.

Irresponsible agricultural practices, which include cropping into riverine zones, wetlands and poor contour layouts and waterways, have also led to the degradation of freshwater habitats.

South Africa is the thirtieth-driest country in the world. The importance of the conservation of freshwater ecosystems and the goods and services they provide is critical.

On a conservation level, February points out that freshwater ecosystems, such as wetlands and riparian zones, play an important role in water flow regulation, water quality and flood attenuation.

“Unfortunately, more than 50% of the country’s wetlands have been destroyed and many of our river systems are infested with water-sapping invasive trees and/or are being impacted on by irresponsible land-use practices,” says February.

The WWF Freshwater Programme, in conjunction with government, has developed a strategy with targets and associated milestones, and projects, which seeks to achieve the protection and conservation of water resources by working with all sectors on a national level.

Challenges in hand, says DWAF
In a statement released to Engineering News, DWAF asserted that, together with South Africa’s water sector, it was largely coping as far as the water-resource management component of the larger water management discipline was concerned.

“The Department also acknowledges that there are a number of serious challenges, more specifically in the field of technical and professional water management capacity, especially in the sphere of local government,” says DWAF Chief Engineer of Policy and Strategy, Chris Swiegers.

While much progress has been made on infrastructure development and policy legislation within the framework of the NWRS, the Department has indicated to Engineering News that there are many targets “lagging behind”.

Projects on target include the National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency, which will be responsible for the development and care of strategic water resource management structures; the completion of the Water Allocation Reform Strategy, aimed at the equitable use of water; and the already implemented waste discharging system, which still requires further components to be incorporated.

Further, the development and implementation of water conservation and demand management strategies are progressing in different water use sectors, together with the development of operating rules.

The Department is involved in many projects aligned to the NWA, which include the Olifants river water resource project, the Hartbeespoort dam remediation project, the Berg River monitoring programme, the Breede River basin study and the Groot Letaba water development project.

The Department has also committed itself to going beyond the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in providing universal access to water and sanitation to all well in advance of the MDG’s ‘halving the backlog by 2015’.

Sink or swim?

The crucial review of the NWRS is to take place in 2010 and close observers believe the process and the implementation plan will be crucial to ensuring continued security.

The key, it seems, is to position the country to build on, but beyond, the apartheid-era focus on supply to large-scale commercial farming and mining. Indeed, this is crucial as legislation stipulates specific flow allocations in each river basin for basic services to the poor and for in-stream environmental flows, before other allocations are considered.

What is also certain, though, is that South Africa has a lot of work ahead of it to ensure its water resources are properly managed for growth as well as economic and social development.

Source: Engineering News Online