RESILIM-Olifants Program USAid Water Dialogue November 2014

To reduce vulnerability through building improved transboundary governance and management of the Olifants Catchment so as to enhance the resilience of its people and ecosystems through systemic and social learning approaches Part of the Limpopo Basin

Motivation for the program Degradation in Olifants Catchment- major drivers of change Undermining longterm resilience Need to: Link between water, biodiversity and livelihoods integrated, people-centered approach Inclusion of Mozambique Synthesis of previous work

Livelihood outcome: Well-being/ ill-being Livelihood outcome: Well-being/ ill-being The ORB SES Water Quantity Quality Biota Water Quantity Quality Biota DRIVERS of change Pol Econ Land reform Climate Change Mining Agric Livelihood vulnerability practices WWTW To do this: collaborative development of the systemic links between water and human well-being

SA 5th largest coal producer in the world 90% from Witbank coal fields Mining Crop Production 2 nd largest irrigation scheme in SA R1 billion export market Intensive Feedlots Sewage Drivers of change Climate, Anthropogenic Drivers of change Climate, Anthropogenic

Extreme events

For example: Impacts of mining outflows DNA studies show increased genetic damage Higher reporting of a range of medical symptoms in mining areas Treatment of water for drinking and power generation is VERY expensive Exposure for informal settlements Pollutants in air Mining outflows in water Bioaccumulation in fish Bioaccumulation in crops Well-being/ ill-being Well-being/ ill-being

Systemic view of catchments Olifants River Basin – Shared between SA and Mozambique Requires catchment-based planning and action Little evidence of adaptive capacity to cope and adapt to environmental change (i.e. resilience), especially climate change in –Governance –Management practices –Resource use practices Broadly we want to support: 1.water security 2.systemic institutional governance 3.capacity of organisations to deal with change (climate change)

How we work based on 15 years of experience Social learning Collective Action Systems thinking & complexity Resilience

Collaborative approach to building resilience especially to climate change- Participatory exploration of scenarios of: Change in water availability Increased temperatures: 2 – 3 o C Farmers Municipalities Local communities

Developing a rich description of context and vulnerability Main concerns (drivers of change) Eutrophication Acid mine drainage Pollution Catchment residents Share with stakeholders

Collaborative understanding of how Olifants River has changed Residents

Collaboration between research institutions to understand water security (quantity and quality) quantity Over half the sub-catchment are in deficit or nearly so Cant meet the demand But Continue to transfer water out

Water quality: e.g. sulphates (AMD) Impacts downstream Upper Olifants Selati Starting to work with DWaS

Collaborative understanding of classifications Classification: Working with stakeholders to understand what management classes mean to them Most did not understand Classification process

Collaborative understanding of impacts of mining: Greater Tubatse Env Forum

Joint approach to dealing with disaster and risk reduction: Bosveld spill Regulator, mines and residents

Partnerships with the IUCMA- especially around real-time monitoring

Collaboration with Mozambique

Some thoughts/ lessons so far… Water resources management is a socio-political system as well as a technical one Water is an integrator across boundaries –Research – implementation –Upstream - downstream Power plays a significant role… Old habits die hard…. Systemic approaches are possible ….

Support for institutional arrangements Urgent need for the OL- CMA And associated stakeholder-based forums: WUA CMFs

Water supply Water resources management RHP (REMP) NDWAS We need systemic governance!