Water management tools as a means of averting a possible water scarcity in South Africa by the year 2025

Abstract

South Africa, currently categorised as water stressed country is forecasted to experience physical water scarcity by the year 2025 with an annual freshwater availability of less that 1 000 m3 per capita. With the trends in population growth and its attributes and continuous pollution of the available water sources, there is bound to be increased pressure on the available water probably resulting in increased conflict over its allocation and a further stress on this resource leading to scarcity. Most countries in the world including South Africa have developed most of their water resources with very little scope for further expansion. This study attempted to establish possible solutions to this scenario. Possible solutions would be as follows. First is the demand management of the water through developing and or improving existing systems that improve water use efficiency in the various demand sectors thereby increasing access to more users and uses for a given volume of water.

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