Water Wheel May/June 2026: Opinion

Abstract

OPINION Now is the time for us to rally behind South Africa’s catchment management agencies Chapter 7 of South Africa’s National Water Act (NWA, Act No 36 of 1998) provides for the establishment of CMAs with the intention to “delegate water resource management to the regional or catchment level and to involve local communities, within the framework of the national water resource strategy…” However, the establishment of these (six) institutions has been slow, leaving a significant vacuum in South Africa’s water resource management. As of 2024, all six of the CMAs had been established, but with significant sustainability challenges, as evidenced by the experience gained from the operations of the first two CMAs established more than two decades ago. Following the establishment of the remaining four CMAs, the country is in a good position to improve the state of its water resources, but it is envisioned that all CMAs will continue to require significant support to effectively perform their mandated functions. South Africa now stands at a pivotal moment in water resource management.

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