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!
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
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 50-60 years
Coastal fishery output, especially along West Coast could drastically decrease due to warmer currents
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
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
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.
Water Resource Services
Services and benefits provided by aquatic ecosystems:
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
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).
The purpose of the Act is to ensure that the nation’s water resources are
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
