1. Water and the Environment
Water for Life
Wilna Kloppers
DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY - WESTERN CAPE REGION

2. Aspects of this Presentation
Global perspective
Climate change
Water and the Economy and Services
Water Quality
Millenium Development Goals
IWRM and the National Water Act
River Health Programme
Local Context

3. Water on Earth Total volume of 534 million km3
97% oceans, only 3% fresh water
Of the fresh water: 79% ice caps & glaciers, 20% groundwater, 1% accessible surface water
Of surface water: 52% lakes, 38% soil moisture, 8% atmospheric vapour, 1% rivers and 1% water in living organisms

4. The Water Cycle
Water cycle is crucial to life and for the ecological balance of our planet. However, excessive consumption of fresh water along with the increased and careless disposal of waste wateris threatening the viability of the water cycle and in turn adversely affet every living thing on the planet

5. Water Cycle
Crucial to life and for the ecological balance of our planet
BUT
Excessive consumption of fresh water together with careless disposal of waste water and interfering with natural ecosystems threatens the viability of the water cycle and in turn every living thing on the planet!

6. Water Cycle
On a global average most freshwater withdrawals are used for agriculture (69%) followed by industry (23%) and municipal use (8%)
In SA 59% of water is used for irrigation, 25% for urban use, 4% for rural use, 6% for mining and industrial, 2% for power generation and 4% for afforestation

7. Climate change
SA average annual rainfall 450mm compared to world average of 860mm
Global climate change is a reality and serious threat to sustainable development
Impacts on water availability as well as water quality
Estimated that agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa could fall 33% in next years
Coastal fishery output, especially along West Coast could drastically decrease due to warmer currents

8. Managing Climate Change
IWRM helps to protect water resource, secures future food supply & avoids potential regional conflict
Provides food security by facilitating agricultural production
Manage use to maintain water cycle – preserve resource & biodiversity
Minimise damage caused by flooding to infrastructure, homes & informal settlements
Minimise insect- and waterborne diseases

9. Water and Health
Water-borne diseases develop more readily in instances of reduced flow
In developing countries 80% of all illnesses are caused by water-borne diseases with Diarrhoea the leading cause of childhood death
Malaria kills more than a million people every year and costs Africa more than R84 billion in lost GDP

10. Water and the Economy
Water is critical to all sectors of the economy: agriculture, forestry, mining, power generation, bulk storage, recreation & provision of urban and rural water services
Economic value of water is measured by the number & value of jobs created by the water use or the amount of revenue generated
Also provide other services that are often not included in economic valuation.

11. Water Resource Services
Services and benefits provided by aquatic ecosystems:
Supply of good quality water
Transport and/or purification of biodegradable wastes
Recreation and aesthetic opportunities
Food production
Flood attenuation and regulation
Water-based transport

12. Groundwater Strategically valuable resource Less affected by droughts
Recharge cycle on a much longer time-scale
More protected storage than surface water
Value linked to dependency – high dependency means no alternative resource

13. Estuaries
SA has 255 estuaries (river mouths) along 3100km of coastline
Contribute to recreational and subsistence fisheries
Act as nursery areas for numerous species of fish
Impacted by urban development and domestic and industrial use

14. Wetlands
Areas that are seasonally or permanently inundated or saturated with water
Protect water resources through flood control, water storage, stream-flow regulation, drought relief, soil erosion protection and wildlife protection
Impacted by inappropriate urban and agricultural development and pollution

15. Availability and Water Quality
SA is an arid country with only 8,6% of rainfall available as surface water
Water availability will become a restriction on future socio-economic development
Therefore, good quality of critical importance
Water quality influenced by natural processes as well as human activities such as farming, urban and industrial development, mining and recreation

16. Water Quality Problems
Salinisation – excess salt from natural (geological) causes & human activities
Eutrophication – enrichment with nutrients N and P from fertilisers and sewage effluent and causes algal and weed growth
Micro-pollutants – mostly metals and pesticides from industrial & mining activities
Microbiological - contamination with faecal material
Erosion and sedimentation – loss of fertile agricultural soil, loss of reservoir storage etc.
Significantly increases treatment costs

17. Unhealthy conditions as a result of inadequate services

18. The UN Millenium Development Goals
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Achieve universal primary education
Promote gender equality & empower women
Reduce child mortality
Improve maternal health
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria & other diseases
Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Develop a global partnership for development

19. Environmental Sustainability
Natural water systems can experience severe floods and droughts and still recover to their original state
If over-used (over abstraction, pollution, physical destruction) this resilience is lost and the capacity to meet human demands is reduced or lost
Aim to balance water use with protection in such a way that water resources are not degraded beyond recovery
For both current and future generations

20. What is IWRM
“IWRM is a process that promotes the co-ordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.”
(Global Water Partnership, 2000).

21. National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998)
The purpose of the Act is to ensure that the nation’s water resources are
protected,
used,
developed,
conserved,
managed and
controlled,
in accordance with the National Water Resource Strategy

22. IWRM and the National Water Act
Resource Protection – reserve (basic human needs + ecological), classification & RQO
Establish Water Management Strategies and Water Management Institutions
Authorising water use
Implementing a National Pricing Strategy including Waste Discharge Charges
Establishing a National Monitoring System and a National Information System

23. River Health Programme
Purpose: to gather information on the ecological state of rivers in South Africa
Method: use indicators to measure current ecological status
Indicators provide holistic and integrated measure of integrity and health of the river
Riparian
vegetation
Macro-
invertebrates
Fish

24. RIVER HEALTH PROGRAMME CONCEPTS
Aquatic invertebrates
Fish Communities
Riparian vegetation
South African
Scoring System
(SASS)
Riparian vegetation
index
(RVI)
Fish Assemblage
Integrity Index
(FAII)
Natural No measurable modification
Good Biodiversity largely unmodified
Fair Sensitive species lost or less abundant
Poor Population dynamics disrupted

25. River Health Programme – Example of River Assessments

26. Olifants-Doring WMA
Olifants
Doring
Sandveld
Knersvlakte
Kouebokkeveld

27. Major Impacts Over-abstraction of surface and groundwater
Modified flow (impoundments)
Farming activities
Alien invasive plant infestation
Invasive alien fish species threaten indigenous fish species
Nutrient enrichment from fertilizers and return flows
Overgrazing
Erosion & sedimentation of river banks

28. Examples of land-use activities

29. Management Actions Reduce cumulative effect of small farm dams
Investigate environmental flow releases from water supply scheme
Improve regulation of abstraction – surface & groundwater
Clearing of alien vegetation
Improve condition of riparian zones
Manage sanctuaries for indigenous fish
Re-instate wetlands
Limit mining & infrastructural development in riparian zone
Manage water quality

30. We all live downstream

31. Project proposals address the issues
Olifants River Wetland and Environmental awareness
Clearing Alien Invasive Plants
Olifants River Health and Conservation
Waste Recycling
River and Environment Clean-up
Groundwater Protection and Climate Change Monitoring

32. Water is life – Water is life

33. Acknowledgements
G McConkey
T Nyamande