Driving the protection of our natural assets

Abstract

Water profile Water is an absolute necessity, with our basic human needs and economy depending on it. A new way of planning is required to protect our precious natural assets and to ensure that future generations inherit a healthy landscape that can provide them with water security. As a water-scarce country, our development has been constrained by our ability to overcome the difficulties of ensuring that water supplies are always readily available. Much attention has been given to the provision of supplying more South African households with safe, reliable drinking water by bringing taps to homes and settlements that were previously marginalised. But, on this mission to dam and deliver water, we have lost sight of where our water comes from, and the critical role that nature plays in ensuring water for all. Engineered infrastructure is critical in the water supply chain, however it cannot deliver if we do not take care of our ecological infrastructure, that is the catchments, rivers and aquifers that feed our dams and water schemes.

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