Water Resources: South Africans must start saving every drop

Abstract

Water resources management Water resources: South Africans must Start Saving every drop South Africa has a rainfall that fluctuates widely (both in space and time), comprising only 55% of the global average. Added to this the country’s evaporation rates are far higher than the amount of rainfall. On average less than 9% of precipitation eventually reaches river systems. All of this makes South Africa one of the 30 driest countries in the world. But just how dry is the country and exactly how much water resources do we have? Specialists have been trying to answer this question since the late 1950s through a series of water resources studies. The objective of these studies (five in total) has been to assist decision makers at all levels of government to make informed choices about all policies concerning South Africa’s water resources. “Demand for water and competition between different users is increasing all the time.

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